Spatiotemporal evolution of urban form and land-use structure in Hangzhou, China: evidence from fractals

Using fractal theory and urban land-use maps for 1949, 1959, 1980, and 1996, this study is devoted to analyzing the evolutionary features of urban form and land-use structure in Hangzhou, China. We find that self-similarity exists in both the built-up area and the municipal area, and fractal properties tend to become better defined with time. The fractal dimension of each type of land use is less than that of all land use. From 1980 to 1996, the fractal dimensions of residential, industrial, and external transport increased while those of educational and virescent land use decreased, indicating that partial degradation accompanied holistic optimization during the process of Hangzhou's self-organizing evolvement. The mechanisms of the spatiotemporal evolution of urban form in Hangzhou are discussed, including socioeconomic development and the dispersal or concentration of activities. The Tandabing approach to urban spatial expansion, the Jianfengchazhen approach to urban construction, and a top-down urban management style led to differences in fractal evolution between Chinese and Western cities.