Through analyzing basic situation of arable land resources in Rizhao city, it is found that fragmented arable land and unreasonable spatial layout occur in current arable land protection work. In order to effectively solve these problems, promote the centralized and contiguous protection of arable land, and improve the quality of arable land, combining with the policy requirements for arable land protection work under the new situation, through analyzing potential of arable land resources in the city, and selecting pilot towns, layout optimization has been carried out. Combining with the potential of arable land in pilot towns and field research results, difficulties and problems in optimizing the current arable land spatial layout have been analyzed. Relative countermeasures and suggestions have been put forward from planning, funding and policies. It will create a new path for optimizing and improving arable land spatial layout.