Analysis of driving forces for urban expansion
Topographic elements
The influence of natural geographic environment is evident on the macroscopic pattern of urban expansion, as the urban expansion of Guangzhou City is deeply affected by topographic elements. Guangzhou City is located at the intersection of the Pearl River water system and adjoins Foshan City in the west, so its westward development is limited by both the river course of the Pearl River and Foshan City. The southward development of Guangzhou City is also affected by the river course of the Pearl River and Panyu District, the latter of which has been not a part of the downtown Guangzhou for a long time. Topographically, the northeast part of Guangzhou is a hilly land, so constraining the northeast development of the city, while the north and east parts of Guangzhou are plains, which are basically favorable for development of the city along these two directions.