As the spatial carrier of human activities and natural resources, production-living-ecological space (PLES) is a complex spatial system with multi-element interaction and multi-scale spatial nesting. Scientific understanding of the theoretical connotation and realization path of PLES is the major proposition of the ecological civilization construction. It is also a problem of spatial coordination management and control faced by territorially spatial planning. This paper discussed the scientific connotation, research problems, and countermeasures of PLES from historical, theoretical, and practical dimensions. The evolution process and trend of PLES from chaos to synergy in the process of human civilization has been clarified through historical traces. The scientific and rational nature of PLES under the background of ecological civilization was explored. Following the logic of fundamentality-regularity-operability, this paper summarized the research progress of domestic scholars in field of PLES. The countermeasures of collaborative PLES management and control were discussed from four aspects:relationship mechanism, method system, spatial representation, and management and control scheme. The main conclusions are as follows:PLES is the interplay of key elements and the intertwining of human behaviors of PLES that form a complex form of material spatial representation and organization; Building a synergistic relationship among multiple elements with human as the core, as well as the improvement mechanism and the feedback adjustment mechanism of the three habitats are important criteria for the scientific control of PLES. Establishing multi-scale spatial sequencing principles and transmission pathways from regional to local scale based on regional characteristics and ecological laws is a serious challenge for future research on synergistic control of the three habitats. The application of data from multiple sources and the integration of multiple models help reveal the complex patterns and processes of the three habitats. The application of data from multiple sources and the integration of multiple models can help uncover the complex patterns and processes of the three habitats and analyze complex and multifaceted spatial problems. Through the design of scenario zones and scenario units, the subdivision of dominant functions, the breakdown of coupling processes and the refinement of key elements, indicators and countermeasures for the control of the PLES can be gradually put in place. Future research on PLES should focus on the complex status quo of territorial space and collaborative space management and control mode, improve the understanding of the dimension of the nature of space, establish a human-oriented scientific research paradigm, and provide scientific theoretical support for territorial spacial planning.