From Planning Blueprints to Implementation: Governance Challenges of Transit-Oriented Development—An Empirical Study of Xiamen Metro Line 1

Abstract

The widening gap between planning blueprints and actual implementation outcomes in transit-oriented development (TOD) has become a critical concern in China’s rail transit expansion. Using Xiamen Metro Line 1 as a case study, this paper develops a three-tiered spatial framework (corridor, planning district, and station catchment) to evaluate plan conformance across land-use efficiency (LUE), category (LUC), and intensity (LUI). The results reveal that, despite generally high implementation levels, significant deviations from statutory targets persist, characterized by cross-island spatial polarization, structural imbalances, and localized extreme outliers. Key bottlenecks include delayed conversion of low-efficiency land, functional mismatches, and overall implementation stagnation in off-island areas. Crucially, these deviations do not merely denote planning failure but expose a profound governance gap between static blueprint regulations and the dynamic complexities of TOD execution. To bridge this divide, this study proposes an integrated governance framework emphasizing context-adaptive implementation models, synchronized “transit–land–planning” institutional mechanisms, and lifecycle-wide adaptive policies.