ABSTRACT
China experienced drastic changes not only politically, but also socioeconomically and culturally during the 20th century. The Beijing metropolitan area is one region in which the changes in this country are most remarkable (Sit, 1995). These regional changes are closely interrelated with land-use changes. The author analyses the characteristics of land-use changes in the Beijing metropolitan area and their driving forces, which may be distinguished into direct and indirect factors (Turner et al., 1995; Kikuchi et al., 1997). Population, economic activity, regional policy, and land resources are identified as factors directly influencing land-use changes. On the other hand, the social system, technological innovation, value system, life style, and national policy constitute indirect factors (Meyer and Turner, 1994). Needless to say, the explanation of land-use changes and their driving forces should be such that it clarifies the mechanisms of both regional and environmental changes (Himiyama, 1999).
