Cultivated land in Wenzhou, China is being used for urbanization, leading to a shift from high-quality to lower-quality land. Remote sensing and geographic information systems were used to study land changes from 2005 to 2014. The study found that urbanization is happening on prime land in the eastern coastal plain, while reclaimed land is often less productive and located in remote areas. Less than 60% of the gained land is being used for cultivation, with most coming from forests and coastal regions. To protect the best cultivated land and ensure agricultural and environmental sustainability, a policy to safeguard prime land should be put in place.