Urban and Rural Areas in the Future: the mode of Territorial Spatial Planning in China

In China, urban areas and rural areas are usually regarded as different objects, causing the current classification of planning. Urban planning, overall land use planning and special planning, such as environmental, transportation, socio-economic development planning, are generally applied to differentiated goals and objectives. However, to some extent, obvious boundaries among different plans lead to content conflict, organizational inefficiency, and the low degree of their implementation. Therefore, in order to solve the above dilemmas, China’s government began to explore and build a comprehensive governing system for the development and protection of territorial space around 2015. In 2018, relevant suggestions and programs were made clear. At present, China is gradually establishing norms and modes of spatial planning compilation, approval management, and administrative governance. On the one hand, the research of theory and technology provides ideas and action guide for the practice of territorial spatial planning. On the other hand, the review and summary of practical experiences also further optimize the cognition of planners and decision-makers. All these have promoted interdisciplinary integration. This paper uses two research methods to analyze the current mode of territorial spatial planning in China: 1) quantitative and visual analysis methods are used to carry out knowledge mapping of relevant literature, and systematically review the main research contents, so as to explore the characteristics of the current theoretical development and practical promotion of territorial spatial planning from the academic perspective; 2) we analyze the content of planning outcomes by qualitative research method, especially the overall planning mechanism and development protection points of multiple-level planning practice. In summary, we find that there are several characteristics in the research and practice of China's territorial spatial planning, including 1) the integration of multiple plans has become an important basis for guiding the administrative level to formulate its planning content and specific practice; 2) The degree of coincidence of research cooperation network is not high, which indicates that interdisciplinary integration needs to be strengthened; 3) The research focus is more detailed, but the intensity still needs to be improved; 4) The implementation effect of relevant laws and regulations, technical standards and implementation supervision is insufficient; 5) In planning practice, the research and judgment of basic problems still lack the support of big data and computing technology. Future research is necessary to make continuous efforts in expanding the dimension of advanced case analysis abroad, strengthening the discussion on resilience efficiency of territorial spatial planning, deepening theoretical research and carrying out the practical evaluation, promoting the exploration of industry development and education reform, and enabling the use of big data and artificial intelligence analysis technology. Current stage, the general framework of China's territorial spatial planning system has been established, but the experience of governance and practice is still insufficient, and the relevant laws and regulations at all levels need to be further improved. In summary, from the perspective of academic research and planning practice, this paper attempts to outline the current characteristics and point out the direction of the future. Meanwhile, these rich discussions and summaries will also provide experience and reference for the governance of territorial spatial in other parts of the world.