Abstract: Rural land remains sustained growth against the background of population shrinkage in many rural areas. Based on the land use survey data as well as the high resolution multi-temporal satellite images from 2009 to 2013, this study investigates the evolution of rural land in Changshu and discusses the land expansion mechanism through the lens of supply and demand. This study classifies the rural land into commercial-residential land, industrial land, and other rural land. The results are given as follows.1) Form 2009 to 2013, industrial land growth is the main reason for rural land expansion with a net increase of 53.92%. Commercial-residential land, mainly residential land, increases by 17.88%.2) The continuous growth of residential land in Changshu results from excessive compensation from the local government for the rural construction, while the rapid expansion of industrial land arises from the continuous promotion of rural industrialization, profit-seeking of establishments, and the financial bonus of local government motivated by economic growth. Taking the values of countryside into consideration, it is urgent to attach more importance to rural transition and intensive landuse. Rational centralization of living space, further intensification of production space, and preservation and improvement of ecological space are the three critical approaches to realize the functional integration of rural spaces.

Key words: rural shrinkage, rural land, spatial evolution, expansion mechanism, Changshu City