Spatial Justice and Residents’ Policy Acceptance: Evidence from Construction Land Reduction in Shanghai, China

Keqiang Wang1,2, Jianglin Lu1,*, Hongmei Liu3, Fang Ye1, Fangbin Dong4and Xiaodan Zhu4

Abstract

Nowadays,  the  contradiction  between  strict  construction  land  supply  restriction  andexcessive construction land demand is extremely prominent.  Construction land reduction (CLR)is a policy innovation for economically developed regions designed to solve the tight constraintsof the construction land quota as urban development continues in China, however, it leads to alack of spatial justice.  In this study, we address a gap in land use regulation literature regardingregional economic development in fast-developing nations by presenting a quantitative investigationof spatial justice in Shanghai, China. We theoretically analyze the connotation of spatial justice inCLR and its influence on residents’ policy acceptance of CLR. Based on theoretical analysis and usinghousehold questionnaires from JJ Town in W District, Shanghai, China, we investigate how spatialjustice affects residents’ policy acceptance of CLR through an ordered probit model. The results showthat (1) spatial justice strengthens residents’ policy acceptance of CLR; (2) both policy familiarityand participation are important influencing factors that contribute to residents’ policy acceptance ofCLR; (3) age, education, household income, the contracting land scale and household populationstructure also affect residents’ policy acceptance of CLR. (4) Robustness tests support the abovefindings. Thus, in the process of CLR, it is essential to fully consider the realization of spatial justiceto ensure the development of remote suburbs, especially the regions experiencing a net reduction intheir construction land.

Keywords

construction land reduction; policy acceptance; rural revitalization; spatial justice; survey;China

https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020300