Construction of an analytical framework for polygon-based land use transition analyses

Polygon representation is important for characterizing land uses and the relationships among them. This study aims to establish an analytical framework for polygon-based land use transitions to understand the processes of change regarding types of land uses and their shapes. The polygon event and polygon state help to reveal continuity both spatially and temporally. A polygon event represents a combination of changes in both the type of land use and its shape through a transition process. A polygon state reflects homogeneity during the transition process. Two indices, the stability index and the compactness, were used to enhance the understanding of the transition process. The stability index evaluates the succession of an attribute, while compactness recognizes the geometrical characteristics of a polygon. A case study on Tsukuba City, Japan, was evaluated to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach that is presented here. The proposed analytical framework supports the clarification of land use transition patterns and is effective in explaining the spatiotemporal land use transition process.

► Proposed analytical frameworks; polygon event and polygon state clarify the land use transition.
► Polygon event and polygon state mirror the adjacency in both the land use type and shape.
► Polygon state and stability index support to figure out the spatio-temporal continuity of land use.
► Polygon state and compactness represent the changes of the shape during the land use transition.