Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Urban Vulnerability in Guangzhou
Keywords:
urban vulnerability, Guangzhou, comprehensive index model, GISAbstract
The evaluation of urban vulnerability is of great significance to improve the quality of urbanization. An urban vulnerability index system was developed from four aspects of population vulnerability, economic vulnerability, social vulnerability and ecological vulnerability. The Spatial and temporal patterns of urban Vulnerability in Guangzhou were evaluated by a comprehensive index model and GIS analysis from three time sections (2005、2010、2014). The results indicated that: (1) economic density, population density, and per capita GDP are the main factors affecting the vulnerability of Guangzhou. (2) The population vulnerability is considerably higher for the central group cities than for the peripheral group cities. The economic vulnerability reflects a crisscross pattern, consisting of a central group and a peripheral group. The social and ecological vulnerabilities are higher for the peripheral group than for the central group. (3) The comprehensive vulnerability has a layered structure, with a high vulnerability in the inner ring layer, low vulnerability in the middle layer, and medium vulnerability in the outer layer.