Abstract:
The development and construction of characteristic towns is a new node in the economic development layout and planning for Xiong’an New Area in Hebei province. In recent years, characteristic towns have become a hot topic in research at home and abroad. Most of current research is qualitative evaluation, few quantitative studies are supported by spatial data. The problems and counter-measures proposed have a certain tendency toward homogenization, and there is a lack of individualized development path for the study area. As two dimensions of land use status and future utilization trend, the degree of development and suitability can be combined to provide guidance for decision-making for future development. From the perspective of “Suitability-Development”, this study examines 22 characteristic towns in Xiong’an New Area, to establish a subjective and objective comprehensive evaluation system, to categorize characteristic towns by matching degree of “Suitability-Development” and four-quadrant map. Suitability degree showed the characteristics of “high in the north and low in the south”, decreasing gradually from the inside to the outside with the three county administrative stations as the center. The development degree and suitability degree showed the characteristics of “high in the north and low in the south”. The low-level areas are concentrated in Dianzhong, high-level areas are distributed in Dianbei and Diandong. The 22 characteristic towns can be divided into: 11 “high suitability-low development” type, 4 “low suitability-low development” type, and 7 “low suitability-high development” type. The suitability of characteristic towns in Xiong’an New Area is generally high, but the development degree shows great regional variations.