Influence of Transportation Accessibility on Urban-rural Income Disparity and Its Spatial Heterogeneity

Transportation accessibility has been treated as an important means of reducing the urban-rural income disparity.However,only a few studies have examined the effects of different types of transportation accessibility on urban-rural income disparity and their spatial heterogeneity.Based on data from 285 prefecture-level(and above)Chinese cities in 2000,2005,2010,2015,and 2020,this study uses spatial econometric models to examine how highway accessibility and railway accessibility influence the urban-rural income disparity and to identify their spatial heterogeneity.The result reveals that highway accessibility and railway accessibility have‘coreperiphery’ring-like circle structures.The urban-rural income disparity exhibits strong spatial clustering effects.Both highway accessibility and railway accessibility are negatively associated with urban-rural income disparity,and the former having a greater effect size.Moreover,there is a substitution effect between highway accessibility and railway accessibility in the whole sample.Furthermore,these associations differ in geographic regions.In the central region,highway accessibility is more important in reducing the urban-rural income disparity,but its effect is weakened with the increase of railway accessibility.In the western region,railway accessibility has a larger effect on narrowing the urban-rural income disparity,and this effect is strengthened by the increase of highway accessibility.We conclude that improving transportation accessibility is conducive to reducing the urban-rural income disparity but its effect is spatial heterogenetic.Highways and railways should be developed in a coordinated manner to promote an integrated transport network system.

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Heart Diseases within the Urban and Rural Communities of the Town of Bougouni and Its Surroundings (Southern Mali): A Comparative Study

In Mali, few studies have been conducted on the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and diseases according to place of residence. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of risk factors and cardiovascular diseases according to residents in town of Bougouni and its rural area (southern Mali). Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study from February 2019 to March 2024. All patients who visited the “CENTRE MEDICAL DE BOUGOUNI” clinic with known or suspected heart disease during the study period were included. Data were collected from medical records. Incomplete or unusable records were excluded. Data were processed using SPS version 22 software. Results: we included 452 patients with an average age of 50 ± 19 years. High blood pression has been found in 42.70% of cases, with higher prevalence in urban areas (47.01%) than in rural areas (41.50%). Diabetes and smoking were found respectively 5.31% and 8.19% in our population. The prevalence of diabetes was higher in urban areas (5.97%) than rural area (5.35%). smoking prevalence was higher in rural areas (8.49%) than urban areas (6.72%). Alcoholism was found in 2.21% of cases with a little difference between rural area (2.24%) and urban area (2.20%). 31.63% of our patients had no cardiovascular factor. Dyspnea was the reason of consultation in 5.75% of cases and atypical precordialgia in 13.72%. Headaches and dizziness in 8.63% of cases and 21.90% of patients presented other non-specific symptoms. Diagnosis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy was found in 23.45% of cases with higher prevalence in rural areas (28.30%) than urban areas (13.43%). Ischaemic heart disease accounted for 9.29% of cases with a higher prevalence in rural areas (10.38%) than in urban areas (6.71%). PPCMs accounted for 5.98% of cases, with a slight increase in urban areas (6.66%) compared with rural areas (5.68%). Rheumatic valvulopathy accounted for 2.21% of cases;2.84% in rural areas and 0.74% in urban areas. Other valvular diseases accounted for 3.76% of cases;4.73% in rural areas and 1.48% in urban areas. Right heart diseases accounted for 3.98% of cases and stroke for 1.77%. Conclusion: The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and heart diseases is high in the rural and urban population of the town of Bougouni and its surroundings (Mali). Excepted smoking, the prevalence of other CV risk factors is higher in urban areas, whereas the prevalence of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and ischemic heart disease is higher in rural areas. These data could serve as a basis for developing tailored preventive strategies, depending on the place of residence.

Exploring well-being disparities between urban and rural areas:A case study in the Stavropol Territory,Russia

Rural areas are crucial for a country’s sustainable economy.New strategies are needed to develop rural areas to improve the well-being of rural population and generate new job opportunities.This is especially important in countries where agricultural production accounts for a significant share of the gross product,such as Russia.In this study,we identified the key indicators of satisfaction and differences between rural and urban citizens based on their social,economic,and environmental backgrounds,and determined whether there are well-being disparities between rural and urban areas in the Stavropol Territory,Russia.We collected primary data through a survey based on the European Social Survey framework to investigate the potential differences between rural and urban areas.By computing the regional well-being index using principal component analysis,we found that there was no statistically significant difference in well-being between rural and urban areas.Results of key indicators showed that rural residents felt psychologically more comfortable and safer,assessed their family relationships better,and adhered more to traditions and customs.However,urban residents showed better economic and social conditions(e.g.,infrastructures,medical care,education,and Internet access).The results of this study imply that we can better understand the local needs,advantages,and unique qualities,thereby gaining insight into the effectiveness of government programs.Policy-makers and local authorities can consider targeted interventions based on the findings of this study and strive to enhance the well-being of both urban and rural residents.

Analysis of Influencing Factors on Fruit Consumption of Urban and Rural Residents in Beijing

In light of the rapid expansion of China s economy,there has been a notable shift in the consumption patterns of urban and rural residents.This is evident in the increased consumption of agricultural products,with fruit consumption representing a particularly pronounced trend.The 2023 Beijing Consumption Statistics indicate that demand for fruit is increasing,accompanied by heightened competition for quality and brands.The paper is based on research that examines the current situation of fruit consumption among urban and rural residents in Beijing.The results indicate that when urban and rural residents in Beijing purchase fruits,price is the most significant factor influencing fruit consumption.Taste,appearance,and variety are also considered to be important influencing factors,while the influence of factors such as fruit type,consumption pattern,and fruit brand is relatively minor.

Exploring the Element Integration of Urban and Rural“Space of Flows”in the Context of Consumption Upgrading:A Case Study of Changsi Village in Anhui Province

The mobility and interaction between urban and rural areas are becoming more and more intensive,and their links and exchanges are increasingly closer due to constant flow of factors such as information,capital,personnel and technology.In this context,the element integration of urban and rural“space of flows”can promote the integrated development of urban and rural areas,improve the consumption environment and experience,and promote the industrial upgrading and technological progress.To realize the element integration of urban and rural“space of flows”,it is necessary to explore and innovate in infrastructure construction,information technology application,industrial cooperation and cultural exchanges.Government departments,enterprises and social organizations also need to work together to give play to their respective advantages and jointly promote the process of element integration of urban and rural“space of flows”.

Research on the Balanced Development of Urban and Rural Compulsory Education Through Education Resource Allocation

With the rapid development of our country’s economy,education has gradually become the focus of social attention.The problem of unbalanced distribution of urban and rural educational resources has become increasingly prominent,urban educational resources are relatively rich,while rural educational resources are relatively scarce,and the balanced development of urban and rural compulsory education has become an urgent task.This paper mainly investigates and studies the distribution of urban and rural educational resources,discusses the unbalanced distribution of urban and rural educational resources and analyzes the reasons,and puts forward a series of corresponding solutions to promote the balanced development of urban and rural compulsory education.

The Impact of Urban and Rural Education Gap on Student Achievement Differences

With our country’s social development,the gap between urban and rural education has become increasingly obvious,especially the difference in student achievement.This study aims to explore the impact of the urban-rural education gap on student achievement.The study adopts a quantitative analysis method to collect and analyze the academic performance,learning resources,and social resources of urban and rural students.The results show that the unbalanced distribution of educational resources in urban and rural areas is the key factor leading to the gap in students’achievement.For example,urban education resources are abundant while rural education resources are relatively scarce.At the same time,the difference in social environment and family economic status also have a significant impact on student achievement.The differences between urban and rural areas,particularly in terms of family economic conditions and their ability to invest in education,further widen the gap between urban and rural education.The results of this study can provide a reference for reducing the gap between urban and rural education and improving the academic performance of rural students.A fair education policy is essential to narrow the gap between urban and rural education resources distribution,so as to improve the equality of education in society.

Spatial pattern of urban-rural integration in China and the impact of geography

Urban-rural integration (URI) is a global challenge that is highly related to inequalities, poverty, economic growth, and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Existing research has evaluated the extent of URI and explored its influencing factors, but urban-rural linkages are seldom incorporated in evaluation systems, and geographical factors are rarely recognized as the influencing factors. We construct a URI framework including regional economy, rural development, urban-rural linkage, and urban-rural gap. Based on a dataset consisting of 1,669 counties in China in 2020, we reveal the spatial pattern of URI and find a high correlation between the spatial pattern of URI and the relief degree of land surface (RDLS). Using structural equation modeling, we discover that topography has direct ( − 0.18, p < 0.001) and indirect ( − 0.17, p < 0.001) effects on URI. The indirect negative effects are mediated through the infrastructure, and the combination of localized advantages and modern technical conditions could mitigate the negative impact of topography. Finally, we identify 742 counties as lagging regions in URI, which can be clustered into eight types. Our findings could facilitate policy designing for those countries striving for integrated and sustainable development of urban and rural areas.

Rural-urban differences in distributions and determinants of facility delivery among women in Bangladesh

Introduction:The utilization of facility delivery is crucial to achieve sustainable development goals by reducing maternal and neonatal deaths.This study aimed to compare the distributions and determinants of childbirth in health facilities in urban and rural regions of Bangladesh.Methods:Cross-sectional data from the 2017-2018 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey were analyzed.Multilevel logistic regression was applied.Results:A total of 4751 women were included in the analyses.Only 50%of childbirths took place in health facilities,63.4%and 44.6%in urban and rural regions,respectively.Overall,the odds of the association between facility delivery and the studied factors were similar.Multiparous women had significantly lower odds of facility delivery in both rural(adjusted odds ratio[AOR]=0.3,95%confidence interval[CI]:0.2 to 0.5)and urban(AOR=0.2,95%CI:0.1 to 0.5)regions.In both regions,women with higher education levels,highly educated husbands,antenatal care(ANC),and higher wealth indexes had significantly higher odds of facility delivery.Conclusion:Several common associated factors were identified.However,differences were observed regarding distributions of these factors.The differences in facility delivery utilization could result from lower ANC utilization,socioeconomic status,and transportation facilities in rural regions than urban regions;therefore,improving these conditions could increase facility delivery in these regions.

A new approach towards the sustainability of urban-rural integration:The development strategy for central villages in the Abbasiya District of Iraq using GIS techniques

The development of rural areas usually has a positive impact on the urban-rural integration. This study explores an innovative approach to stimulate rural development by proposing qualified villages as central villages that can provide basic urban services for their residents and residents of neighboring villages. This approach can contribute to overcoming the various problems that rural areas faced at the social, economic, and environmental levels. It seeks to achieve spatial sustainability of rural areas, representing a new approach by integrating urban development methods to revitalize rural villages. The study analyzed 15 villages belonging to Abbasiya District of AL Kufa City in the Najaf Governorate of Iraq. Based on the GIS techniques and the analysis of urban service indicators(village population, percentage of urban building materials used in villages, distance between village and health centers, distance between village and main roads, nature of economic activity, distance between village and educational institutions, distance between village and drinking water sources, number of communication towers, and distance between village and urban administrative center), this study proposed that Abu Gharb and Albu Ghraib can served as central villages in Abbasiya District in the future. This study establishes a new rural spatial structure to achieve rural sustainable development, improves the development status of rural areas, and provides a theoretical basis for the government and relevant institutions to use urban service indicators, achieving rural sustainable development and formulating relevant development policies in Abbasiya District.

Factors Associated with Unmet Need for Family Planning among Couples Living in Urban and Rural Areas of Guinea in 2019

Introduction: Unmet need for family planning (UNFP) is defined as women with unmet needs who want to stop or delay childbearing but are not using any method of contraception. The objective of this study was to analyze the factors associated with unmet needs for family planning among couples living in rural and urban areas of Guinea in 2019. Methodology: This was a prospective, analytical cross-sectional, multicenter study of a six-month period from August 1, 2018 to January 31, 2019, focusing on couples with unmet needs for family planning. Result: Among 189 couples interviewed, 567 had UNFP (33.3%), the reasons for not using modern contraceptive methods were desire for pregnancy (AOR = 2.74, 95% CI: 1.74, 4.31), husband’s refusal (AOR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.81), spousal attitude (AOR = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.130, 30), birth spacing (AOR = 2.10% to 95%: 1.16, 3.82), difficulty with a new pregnancy (AOR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.74), and spousal attitude (AOR = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.30). Conclusion: The involvement of spouses, especially in rural communities, would help achieve family planning objectives and reduce unmet needs for family planning.

The Chinese Urban-rural Dual Economic Structure Model and Analysis

Based on the characteristics of urban-rural dual economic structure in China,we build a dynamic endogenous urban-rural dual economic model closely linked to China's reality,and carry out mathematical economics analysis of optimized conditions for urban and rural sectors. The main results show that:(i) The labor growth rate of urban-rural sectors must be greater than the time discount rate,or else there would be a vicious cycle of diminishing returns in the sectors;(ii) The accumulation rate of physical capital and human capital of urban-rural sectors,and the rate of technological progress,need to be greater than the corresponding depreciation rate plus the time discount rate,otherwise there would be a vicious cycle of diminishing returns in the sectors;(iii) The low accumulation rate in the rural sector,and the occurrence of labor outflow,human capital loss and lack of investment,will expand income gap between urban and rural areas,which is a reason for solidification of urban-rural dual economic structure.

Peri-urban Development:Discussion with Land Use Zoning,Statutory Provision,and Issues inside Katahari Rural Municipality,Nepal

The peri-urban area is a transitional zone between the city and its hinterlands characterized by mixed land use and intensive flows of resources,people,goods,and services from and to the city center.These zones are generally misguided and haphazardly developed without a proper planning framework.The peri-urban area at present will be the urban area in the future;therefore,it needs planning intervention in its initial stage of growth.Katahari,a peri-urban area of Biratnagar metropolitan city,is developing a spontaneous lack of land use plans.Recently,the Government of Nepal has encouraged the local government to implement land use plans in the provided framework,policy,and guidelines.This study,in this context,attempts to analyze and identify land use issues and potential zones for Katahari rural municipality that also supports planning urban development in the future.The study is based on primary and secondary data and information supported by maps and figures.It is concluded that Katahari has been developed as a multi-function center adjoining the Biratnagar metropolitan city,and future expansion of the city will cover a wide range of rural municipalities.The postal highway that passes through it has attracted a wide range of urban functions.Agriculture,residential,commercial,and industrial are the main land use category at present and needs development control through providing land use zoning and related planning instruments through the increasing role of the stakeholder and the government agencies in the decision-making processes and implementation of spatial development frameworks to regulate peri-urban development in the area which will guide the future planning for liability,economic viability,social inclusion,and environmental sustainability in the area.Spill-over development activities of Biratnagar,have increased the number of economic activities,population growth,and mixed-use development.

SDH-FCOS:An Efficient Neural Network for Defect Detection in Urban Underground Pipelines

Urban underground pipelines are an important infrastructure in cities,and timely investigation of problems in underground pipelines can help ensure the normal operation of cities.Owing to the growing demand for defect detection in urban underground pipelines,this study developed an improved defect detection method for urban underground pipelines based on fully convolutional one-stage object detector(FCOS),called spatial pyramid pooling-fast(SPPF)feature fusion and dual detection heads based on FCOS(SDH-FCOS)model.This study improved the feature fusion component of the model network based on FCOS,introduced an SPPF network structure behind the last output feature layer of the backbone network,fused the local and global features,added a top-down path to accelerate the circulation of shallowinformation,and enriched the semantic information acquired by shallow features.The ability of the model to detect objects with multiple morphologies was strengthened by introducing dual detection heads.The experimental results using an open dataset of underground pipes show that the proposed SDH-FCOS model can recognize underground pipe defects more accurately;the average accuracy was improved by 2.7% compared with the original FCOS model,reducing the leakage rate to a large extent and achieving real-time detection.Also,our model achieved a good trade-off between accuracy and speed compared with other mainstream methods.This proved the effectiveness of the proposed model.

Identifying influencing factors and characterizing key issues in urban sustainable development capacity through machine learning

In response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and China’s“Dual Carbon”Goals(DCGs means the goals of“Carbon Peak and carbon neutrality”),this paper from the perspective of the construction of China’s Innovation Demonstration Zones for Sustainable Development Agenda(IDZSDAs),combines carbon emission-related metrics to construct a comprehensive assessment system for Urban Sustainable Development Capacity(USDC).After obtaining USDC assessment results through the assessment system,an approach combining Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator(LASSO)regression and Random Forest(RF)based on machine learning is proposed for identifying influencing factors and characterizing key issues.Combining Coupling Coordination Degree(CCD)analysis,the study further summarizes the systemic patterns and future directions of urban sustainable development.A case study on the IDZSDAs from 2015 to 2022 reveals that:(1)the combined identification method based on machine learning and CCD models effectively quantifies influencing factors and key issues in the urban sustainable development process;(2)the correspondence between influencing factors and key subsystems identified by the LASSO-RF combination model is generally consistent with the development situations in various cities;and(3)the machine learning-based combined recognition method is scalable and dynamic.It enables decision-makers to accurately identify influencing factors and characterize key issues based on actual urban development needs.

Analyzing the transportation infrastructure-rural industry integration relationship in China

Transportation infrastructure is crucial to China’s economic growth because it substantially contributes to the holistic development of rural primary,secondary,and tertiary industries.This study innovatively examines transportation infrastructure and urbanization levels to explore,both theoretically and empirically,their relationship with the holistic development of primary,secondary,and tertiary industries in rural China,and the mediating role of urbanization on this relationship.We employed fixed-effects models,the entropy weight approach,mixed regression,and generalized method of moments to analyze the data of 30 provinces across China from 2013 to 2020.The results indicate that the construction of transportation infrastructure directly fosters the collective advancement of such industries in rural areas and that urbanization partially mediates the transportation infrastructure-rural industry integration relationship.However,the western region shows disparities in the integrated development of these sectors.Further analysis reveals that foreign investments amplify the positive influence of transportation infrastructure on rural industry integration.Essentially,the enhancement of rural transportation infrastructure,promotion of urbanization,implementation of strategic planning,and strengthening of support mechanisms are crucial aspects in the comprehensive development of rural industries and the achievement of rural revitalization in China.

Study on Factors Influencing Urban-rural Dual Economic Structure of Chongqing Based on the State Space Variable Parameter Method

Firstly,this paper reviews and analyzes historic background of urban-rural integration of Chongqing,and the evolution and trend of urban and rural dual economic structure.On the basis of previous researches,it selects factors and variables influencing urban and rural dual economic structure,and establishes an econometric model.By state space Kalman filtering method,it analyzes dynamic influence of factors upon urban-rural dual economic intensity.According to empirical conclusion,it puts forward corresponding policy recommendations for promoting integrated urban and rural economic development of Chongqing.

Effects of the Development of Township Enterprises on the Urban-Rural Dual Economic Structure Based on Cointegration Theory

The gross output value of township enterprises(XGDP)is used as a variable of township enterprises development.And CXEY is a variable of urban-rural dual economic structure.According to the 1986-2006 Statistical Yearbook of Chinese Township Enterprises and the 2006 China Statistical Yearbook,effects of the development of township enterprises on the urban-rural dual economic structure are studied by the cointegration analysis.Result shows that without considering other influencing factors,township enterprise development in the years 1979-2005 is the key factor to improve the dual economic structure in urban and rural areas in China.

Look from the empty nester problem of urban and rural dual structure of society

More and more empty nest has become a social problem that couldn＇t ignore. The problem of empty nester is the essence of urban and rural dual structure social changing. The emergence of empty-nesters is a serious problem in China＇s social development process, with the aging of the population increasing, urban-rural divide more and more obvious. The condition of the human society has gradually formed the rural and the division of labor and the dual structure of the city. This paper expounds the connotation, significance and characteristics of empty nest elderly, analyzes on the problems existing in current urban and rural society and the problem of empty nest elderly in the new situation puts forward the suggestions and countermeasures.

An Empirical Study of the Influence of Migrant Workers' Individual Decisions concerning "Change from Rural Residents to Urban Residents" in Chongqing City

This paper,from the city integration perspective,analyzes the main beneficiaries who benefit from the household registration system reform,and studies the influence of individual decisions about the transfer from agriculture to non-agriculture. Based on it,this paper makes an empirical research by using the survey data about migrant workers in Chongqing. The research findings are as follows:( i) The urban employment,the living condition and the rural connection have a significant impact on migrant workers' transfer decision;( ii) If the value of those factors( such as the working stability,the family income,the urban house condition and the urban social security) is higher,then the migrant workers who have no economic interest in rural areas are better able to integrate into the urban areas,therefore the inclination to transfer the household registration from agriculture to non-agriculture will be much stronger. It is proposed that we should do some significant things,such as enhancing the investment of security housing,bringing the migrant workers into the city housing accumulation fund system and giving them prior allocation right,perfecting land elastic exit mechanism,creating a harmonious employment environment,which are important strategies promoting migrant workers to integrate into the urban areas and affecting their individual decision about transferring from agriculture to nonagriculture.