摘要: China’s rapid urbanization process has generated much attention in recent decades (Ma 2002; Ye and Wu 2014). High rates of national economic growth, demographic changes, and physical urban expansion are not only drivers but also the outcomes of the ongoing urban and peri-urban transformation in China, unprecedented in history and unparalleled anywhere else in the world (Pannell 2002). Schneider and Woodcock (2008) categorized Chinese cities as “frantic-growth”, featuring extremely rapid land conversion rates and a tendency towards both dispersion and fragmentation. Although China’s urbanization policy–moving 250 million rural residents to cities by 2025–could partially justify the demand for urban land development, the speed of urban land growth exceeds urban population growth. Urban population has more than doubled during the last 30 years, while urban land has more than tripled for all city sizes and locations (Schneider and Mertes 2014). Moreover, the degree of urban growth varies regionally. Because the development philosophy has emphasized efficiency rather than equity, and open-door rather than self-reliance (Fan 1995), the regional policy has favored the eastern region and selected coastal provinces and cities. Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, has historically been important for China’s political, military, and economic development. In 2018, it had a population of 16.33 million, with its administration boundary occupying 14,378 square kilometers of land. Being located in the western inland region with a population net out-migration, the city lagged behind in economic development compared to the …