Abstract:

The old central business district (CBD) in Guangzhou,due to the impact of the long history,especially the centrally-planning economy before the reform was dominated by the commercial and residential functions.Under the new situation,CBD should develop rapidly,but it is very difficult to renew the old CBD due to various racoons.Since the reform of the economic system in 1978,Guangzhou,the central city,has set up the goal of becoming an international metropolis,which has resulted in the rapid expansion and economic growth of the city.These have promoted the construction and formation of the new CBD and caused dramatic differences between the old and the new CBDs in land use.For the horizontal dimension,the differences in building types and land use functions between the old and the new CBDs are analysed.For the vertical one,the differences in building heights,floor use type,commercial functions and function combination are identifed.As regards the comprehensive aspect,the differences in hight index,intensity index,land use structure of central business,and composition of commercial land use are recognized.The study has shown that the new CBD,compared with the old CBD,is close to the land use rule of the cities in western countries,namely with the distance increases from the CBD core number of central buildings decreases,central business activities weaken,and the ground floors are occupied by shops,etc.The differences in and use between the old and the new CBDs have implied that the location advantages have been recognized,the urban land use has been being realigned,and the urban economic activities are showing a restructuring tendency toward the dominance of tertiary sector and the spatial redistribution.During this transformation,several factors should be considered: e.g.the impact of economic globalization on the spatial.realignment of Guangzhou and the coordination among various function zones.

Key words: Central Business District (CBD), Land use Guangzhou