Evolutionary Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Production–Living–Ecological Spaces in Resource-Exhausted Cities: A Case Study of Zaozhuang City, China

This study examines the evolutionary characteristics and potential influencing factors of production–living–ecological spaces (PLES) in resource-exhausted cities, using Zaozhuang City in Shandong Province—the first coal-based resource-exhausted city in eastern China—as a case study. A territorial spatial transition matrix, dynamic degree model, Geo-information Tupu, chord diagram visualization, and Pearson correlation analysis were integrated to examine PLES evolution from 2000 to 2020. The results show the following: (1) Spatial conversions were relatively frequent during 2000–2010 but slowed markedly after 2010, indicating clear stage-specific characteristics. (2) Urban living space, rural living space, and industrial and mining production space continued to expand, while water ecological space increased with fluctuations. In contrast, agricultural production space and terrestrial ecological space continued to decline. Urban living space expanded mainly around the built-up areas of Shizhong District, Xuecheng District, and Tengzhou City and around major industrial parks, while conversions between rural living space and agricultural production space were particularly frequent. (3) PLES changes showed varying degrees of association with resource endowment, economic and industrial development, population and transport, and planning and policy, with differentiated responses among spatial types. Zaozhuang’s designation as a resource-exhausted city in 2009 occurred shortly before spatial evolution became more stable after 2010, providing important contextual evidence for understanding this stage transition. Overall, PLES evolution shifted from outward expansion under resource development toward spatial stabilization and stock-based restructuring during the resource-exhausted stage. These findings provide empirical insights for resource-exhausted cities with similar coal-dependent development trajectories and transformation contexts.