Urban and Rural Area Division:Taking Shanghai as an Example
上海市城乡实体地域的划分

As a basis of counting urban population, the correct urban-rural division is an important component in collecting, classifying and analysing socio-economic statistics. Research on urban and rural area division method has the vital significance both in theory and practice. Using Shanghai 2000 aerial remote sensing photographs and the Population Geographical Information System, this paper makes an experimental division of urban and rural areas. Detailed division method discussion has been made for three kinds of urbanized area, i.e., Shanghai city proper, the suburban Qingpu District and outer suburban Zhangyan town of Jinshan District, for the purpose of simulating regional division of the metropolitan, urban and town areas separately. It firstly introduces the basic division processes of the three types of urban and rural areas. Then it conducts a comparative study on different precision results of each type of the areas. Finally the authors discuss the three types of urbanized area divisions for metropolises, medium- and smail-sized cities as well as towns in terms of precision to be reached in the near- and long-term respectively. Appropriate precision and simple operation is the focus of this research, which aims at promoting the urbanized area division work in a wide range.