Ecological sensitivity and sustainable spatial planning in a highly urbanized plain: An AHP-GIS and geodetector approach in the Yangtze River Delta Plain
- 1School of Urban Renewal, Shanghai Zhongqiao Vocational and Technical University, Shanghai, China
- 2School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, China
Abstract
Rapid urbanization in plains exacerbates ecological pressures, while most ecological sensitivity (ES) research focuses on mountains, offering limited guidance for highly urbanized plains. This study assesses ES in the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone (YRD EGI-DDZ) and its planning implications. Ten indicators, covering four criteria, geography, hydrology, natural resource, and human interference were integrated using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with Geographic Information System (GIS). Geodetector quantified drivers of ES spatial variation, and 2018–2020 land use data revealed recent development and fragmentation. Results show over 70% of the area under medium to extremely highly sensitivity, with high or extreme high zones clustered along Dianshan Lake, Yuandang, East Taihu, and contiguous ecological land. Low sensitivity mainly corresponds to urban land. Key drivers include land use, nighttime lights, population density, and water proximity, while elevation and slope contribute marginally. New construction land expands mainly along urban fringes and transport corridors, inserting low sensitivity strips into medium sensitivity belts and fragmenting high sensitivity cores. These findings inform a sensitivity-based zoning and corridor control framework, refining existing plans and supporting sustainable spatial development in similar plains.
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BibTeX
@article{yao2026ecological,
title = {{Ecological sensitivity and sustainable spatial planning in a highly urbanized plain: An AHP-GIS and geodetector approach in the Yangtze River Delta Plain}},
author = {Tiantian Yao and Qian Liu and Huiqin Zeng and Jiabin Tang},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0357598},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357598},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ecological sensitivity and sustainable spatial planning in a highly urbanized plain: An AHP-GIS and geodetector approach in the Yangtze River Delta Plain
AU - Tiantian Yao
AU - Qian Liu
AU - Huiqin Zeng
AU - Jiabin Tang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/08
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0357598
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357598
AB - Rapid urbanization in plains exacerbates ecological pressures, while most ecological sensitivity (ES) research focuses on mountains, offering limited guidance for highly urbanized plains. This study assesses ES in the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone (YRD EGI-DDZ) and its planning implications. Ten indicators, covering four criteria, geography, hydrology, natural resource, and human interference were integrated using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with Geographic Information System (GIS). Geodetector quantified drivers of ES spatial variation, and 2018–2020 land use data revealed recent development and fragmentation. Results show over 70% of the area under medium to extremely highly sensitivity, with high or extreme high zones clustered along Dianshan Lake, Yuandang, East Taihu, and contiguous ecological land. Low sensitivity mainly corresponds to urban land. Key drivers include land use, nighttime lights, population density, and water proximity, while elevation and slope contribute marginally. New construction land expands mainly along urban fringes and transport corridors, inserting low sensitivity strips into medium sensitivity belts and fragmenting high sensitivity cores. These findings inform a sensitivity-based zoning and corridor control framework, refining existing plans and supporting sustainable spatial development in similar plains.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -