sustainability Article Research on Sustainable Land Use Based on Production–Living–Ecological Function: A Case Study of Hubei Province, China Chao Wei 1, Qiaowen Lin 2, Li Yu 3,* , Hongwei Zhang 3 , Sheng Ye 3 and Di Zhang 3 1 School of Public Administration, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China;
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[email protected]; Tel.: +86-185-7163-2717 Abstract: After decades of rapid development, there exists insufficient and contradictory land use in the world, and social, economic and ecological sustainable development is facing severe challenges. Balanced land use functions (LUFs) can promote sustainable land use and reduces land pressures from limited land resources. In this study, we propose a new conceptual index system using the entropy weight method, regional center of gravity theory, coupling coordination degree model and obstacle factor identification model for LUFs assessment and spatial-temporal analysis. This framework was applied to 17 cities in central China’s Hubei Province using 39 indicators in terms of production–living–ecology analysis during 1996–2016. The result shows that (1) LUFs showed an overall upward trend during the study period, while the way of promotion varied with different dimensions. Production function (PF) experienced a continuous enhancement during the study period. Living function (LF) was similar in this aspect, but showed a faster rising tendency.