Research on the influence of site factors on the expansion of construction land in the Pearl River Delta, China: By using GIS and remote sensing

Landsat TM images of the Pearl River Delta taken in 1988, 1998 and 2006 are used to explore the site factors that influence the construction land expansion in this study. Several site factors, including landscape types and the distances to roads, coastlines, or city centers, had significant impacts on the expansion of construction land, influencing the direction, scale and intensity of the expansion. The site factors serve as important natural and spatial indicators of the preferable locales for construction land expansion, describing tendencies to expand to locations in suburbs, plains and areas near roads or coastlines.

► We use the Landsat TM images of the Pearl River Delta to explore the influence of site factors on construction land expansion.
► Site factors, such as landscape types and the distances to roads, coastlines, or city centers, had significant impacts on construction land expansion.
► They influence the direction, scale and intensity of the expansion.
► They serve as important natural and spatial indicators of the preferable locales for construction land expansion.