Observations on the development of townships around mega-tourist attraction caused by land use change—the case of Zhangjiajie, China

A study on Zhangjiajie, China, reveals that the rapid growth of construction land—particularly around its dual-core central structure (DCC)—has led to significant land use changes, transforming cultivated and grassland into tourism-focused development. Analyzing remote sensing data from 2000, 2010, and 2020, researchers found that limited agricultural and industrial land was repurposed for tourism, posing challenges for balanced regional growth. The findings suggest that integrating industrial belts around the DCC could foster coordinated development while supporting sustainable tourism expansion in surrounding townships.

Wang, T., He, J., & Ning, Z. (2023). Observations on the development of townships around mega-tourist attraction caused by land use change—the case of Zhangjiajie, China. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 22(5), 3006–3027. https://doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2023.2167494