This paper attempts to integrate urban development and ecological conservation by applying and syncretizing the "urban region" concept from landscape ecology and the "city-region" concept from socioeconomics. First, various concepts pertaining to regions are discussed and then, the integration of ecological conservation and urban development on a regional scale is introduced. Subsequently, the Greater Pearl River Delta, in China, is used as a case study area and landscape ecology's "urban

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... " concept is applied to produce a landscape spatial arrangement framework for an urban region. This framework is achieved through the following steps: conceiving the study area as a region that consists of two urban regions, arranging ecological conservation landscapes by establishing a regional ecological network within the urban-region rings; and formulating an urban development strategy using central place theory. The resulting landscape spatial arrangement solution includes natural protection areas that cover half of the study area, several key strategic urbanizing locations, and suggestions for the strict protection of certain agricultural land-use areas. We believe that this framework facilitates a feasible exploration of land-use planning on a regional scale, although more in-depth studies are required to refine this approach. Journal of Environmental Protection surface of the earth, which belongs both to us and the flora and fauna. These activities are changing the landscapes. Negative impacts include decreasing biodiversity and landscape fragmentation, resulting in natural habitat loss, decreased landscape resilience and resistance, etc. With the exception of hunting, agriculture, and deforestation, the construction of modern urbanization and transportation infrastructure is damaging the quality and quantity of natural landscapes. This results in efforts to protect the natural environment through such measures as the creation of conservation areas, national parks, etc. However, on the other hand, for the purpose of human development, we are greedily consuming the natural land around us. Thus, we must discover a way to reconcile both sides. For at least two hundred years, attempting to integrate human development and environmental/ecological protection issues has been an important theme among scientific researchers and landscape planning practitioners. Influential contributors include Patrick Geddes (1915) [1], Ian L. McHarg (1969) [2], Zev Naveh (2000) [3], Richard T. T. Forman (1995, 2008) [4] [5], and others. Landscape ecology attempts to find solutions for the spatial arrangement of land to support ecosystems and human populations from a land-mosaic perspective [5]. The patch-corridor-matrix model is an effective tool for land-use planning. Often, the patch-corridor-matrix model is applied to design ecological networks (ENs) as nature protection areas, which include core areas, corridors, and buffer zones. Studies addressing theories and practices with regard to ENs have formed a large body of literature (see, for example, Battisti, 2013 [6]; Boitani et al., 2007 [7]; Hepcan & Ozkan, 2011 [8]; Jongman, 2003 [9]; Opdam et al., 2006 [10]). On the nature side, these ENs are efficient for the building of nature conservation systems. On the other side, for a regional-scale development strategy, the city-region concept is typically considered from a socioeconomic (human development) perspective. A city-region may be considered a geographic region composed of a core (metropolitan area) or multi-cores and surrounding areas (hinterlands) that interact with each other. There have been numerous studies concerning city-regions (see, for example, Hall & Pain, 2006 [11]; Hall, 2009 [12]; Davoudi, 2008 [13]; Parr, 2005 [14]; Rodríguez-Pose, 2008 [15]). Moreover, the emerging urban network/city network paradigm in addressing regional scale human urbanization issues seems promising. Influencing contributions include Camagni & Salone (1993) [16], Batten (1995) [17], Meijers, 2007 [18], etc. These researchers argue that, within the highly urbanized areas, a region can be considered being tightly linked area which in turn connected by several (even dozens of) actively interacting urban centers through socioeconomic functions and dense traffic infrastructure. All these nodes (urban centers) and lines (infrastructure) together work as a whole-urban network. Central place theory (CPT) is a classical settlements location theory that emphasizes the influences/relationships among different levels of settlements (e.g.,