Critical considerations in provincial territorial spatial planning in China: a qualitative and spatial analysis

At present, the practice of national spatial planning in China is progressing actively. Provincial and autonomous regional spatial plans (public notice drafts), which are pivotal policy instruments for managing the development, utilization, and conservation of national territorial spaces, have been formulated and passed approval procedures across 27 provinces and autonomous regions. Systematically analyzing spatial planning documents can help clarify provincial objectives, visions, and policy details, identify planning innovations and trends, and uncover potential oversights, providing a scientific basis for developing lower-level spatial plans, special plans, and policy frameworks. This study employed the Nvivo qualitative analysis software for policy text coding and executed text mining and spatial distribution characterization of pivotal planning elements. The research constructed a three-tier coding system including 4 parent codes, 14 first-level codes and 33 second-level codes. The result shows: (i) Provincial territorial spatial planning primarily focuses on macro-programmatic content, with attention to spatial strategies, positioning and objectives, and major regional infrastructure, while some provinces emphasize inter-provincial collaboration under the guidance of regional strategic development. (ii) There is a high degree of similarity in the specific content of concern across provinces, with a pervasive emphasis on sustainable development models, overall developmental goals and strategies, ecological conservation, agriculture, infrastructure and its guarantees. (iii) The content of provincial territorial spatial plans in certain regions exhibits a marked interrelation, indicative of a pronounced regional spatial correlation. Overall, this study offers new perspectives for understanding provincial policy intentions and characteristics, establishing a link between planning content and Sustainable Development Goals, and furnishing valuable insights and references for the refinement of future planning policies. © The Author(s) 2025.