This paper has evaluated the land potential for the greenbelt construction between the fifth and the

sixth ring roads. First, the present land cover characteristics were analyzed through the extraction from TM image,

and the existing landscape structure and pattern were studied. Then, the land potential for developing greenbelt was

evaluated based on the present land cover. The assessment results show that the present landscape pattern provides

some potential for greenbelt development. On the one hand, several important transportation routes pass the

greenbelt, which might act as an axe and help formulate the wedge-shape greenbelt. On the other hand, there still

exists large proportion of undeveloped land resource that might be used to develop green elements. Totally, all the

undeveloped land resources possess some 60% of the whole area. However, all the developed and undeveloped lands are

not well regulated. Especially in the developed built-up areas, the size, pattern and future developing tendency

fail to meet the demand of urban greenbelt development. It is very important to regulate existing land uses,

increase land use efficiency, reduce land development, and preserve some lands for green elements development. All

these measures seem to constitute the most difficult tasks in greenbelt implementation.