Structural Characteristics of Multi-Scale Virtual Land Flow Network Centered by Beijing Metropolis

Sustainable urbanization of metropolises requires effective utilization of limited land resources. Existing studies focusing on direct land use and land footprints have overlooked the internal structure of virtual land flow network. This impedes the comprehensive understanding of land use interactions across regions and sectors. This study focuses on Beijing, a typical metropolis facing the challenge of land resource shortage. We explore the structural characteristics of multi-scale virtual land flow network centered by Beijing, by combining environmentally extended multi-regional input–output model with a set of network analysis tools (including betweenness analysis, structural path analysis, and community detection). The results show that parts of the critical transmission centers of virtual land flow (e.g., “Scientific research and polytechnic services” and “Food and tobacco processing”) have small direct land uses. 01The majority of vital inter-sectoral transactions usually involve critical transmission centers, providing explicit directions for productivity improvement of those transmission centers. Strategies on transmission centers and inter-sectoral transactions can intervene in the transmission of embodied land uses and help reduce inefficient upstream land uses. Enhancing total factor productivity in these hotspots through measures such as technological advancement, minimizing raw material and equipment wastage, and elevating labor quality helps reduce unnecessary upstream land uses. Moreover, the same community includes multiple sectors across various regions, indicating the necessity of trans-regional cooperation. These findings can offer valuable insight into the management of land resource from the network perspective. They also provide scientific basis for coordinated regulation across specific sectors and regions.