Land Spatial Zoning and Tailor-Made Optimization Strategies Considering Both Development States and Change Processes

The evolution process and utilization status jointly determine the spatial heterogeneity of the Earth’s surface. Planning policies should be customized for specific geographical regions. This paper proposes an innovative spatial zoning method that accounts for both the utilization status (development pattern and development intensity) and evolutionary processes (development trend) of land space, with Zhengzhou in China, selected as the case study. The impact of land cover transition on land surface temperature (LST) changes in different spatial zones was assessed. The reasons for zone formation were revealed through correlation analysis and policy review. Tailor-made optimization strategies were proposed. The results showed that the study area could be divided into 18 spatial zones. They were formed as a result of long-term changes in land cover and human activities. The ELG (ecology-dominant low-intensity growth area), ALS (agriculture-dominant low-intensity shrinkage area), and UMG (urban-dominant medium-intensity growth area) zones accounted for the largest proportions, representing the current land use status and previous change trends. The transition from agricultural land to built-up land (41.34% of which was distributed in the UMG zone) may be associated with LST warming, whereas the conversion from agricultural land to green space (67.04% of which was distributed in the ELG zone) may be associated with LST cooling. These two changes contribute most to LST changes. Greater attention should be paid to the combined and transfer effects of land cover processes, as well as seasonal exposure during agricultural production. Topography fundamentally influences zone distribution, while human activities and planning policies shape spatial patterns. In the future, planning policies should be customized for different spatial zones. The zoning methodology and optimization strategies can provide a useful reference for future territorial spatial planning in the study area and other urban regions.