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In urban areas, the competition between land development and ecological conservation is intense. To mitigate the negative effects of urbanization, we developed a methodology to plan a spatially explicit conservation network based on widely available remotely sensed data and other auxiliary data. First, as an area of strategic significance for the conservation of regional flora and fauna and for maintaining high environmental quality to promote human well-being, the remaining natural and semi-natural areas were identified as ecologically primary areas. Second, integrating the graph-theoretic model, we evaluated the overall connectivity of core habitats and identified which core habitats were and what landscape-pattern-context was most important to the conservation network. Third, focusing on maximizing the ability to utilize the existing conditions to reduce construction costs while meeting the ecological aims, an ecological corridor system was suggested to improve both the ecological connectivity and the livable environment. Finally, a comprehensive optimization scheme was suggested for the overall conservation planning. We concluded that successful and pragmatic ecological restoration planning in an urban area should consider the requirements of socially, economically and ecologically sustainable development and optimize the structure and function of the urban ecosystem, rather than maximize certain ecological aims. Our planning has been adopted by the local government, and a legally binding system of regulations has been established to guarantee the plan's enforcement. Our findings may provide an actual reference for the world, especially to manage the intertwined issues of economic development and ecological sustainability in rapidly urbanizing areas.
