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.

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.

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”.

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.

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.

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.

Strategies for "Mass Enterpreneurship and Innovation" Education in Local Universities to Promote Rural Revitalization through Integrating Industry and Education

At present, there are still some problems, such as insufficient integration between universities and local industry and education, urgent need to optimize the collaborative education system, limited quality of "mass enterpreneurship and innovation" education subjects, insufficient joint efforts of relevant policies, lack of rural revitalization subjects, and imperfect rural infrastructure and public service system. In view of the above difficulties and the practical efficiency analysis of "mass enterpreneurship and innovation" education in Hubei University of Science and Technology, this paper puts forward the strategies for "mass enterpreneurship and innovation" education in local universities to promote rural revitalization from the perspective of integration between industry and education: colleges and universities should deepen the reform of the education system of integration between industry and education, and cultivate "mass enterpreneurship and innovation" talents for rural revitalization;the government and society should strengthen the construction of rural service support system and optimize the "mass enterpreneurship and innovation" environment for rural revitalization.

Empirical Research on the Relationship between Education Poverty Alleviation and Rural Revitalization—Spatial Panel Simultaneous Equation Model Based on Provincial Panel Data

On the basis of using entropy weight method to measure China’s education poverty alleviation and rural revitalization evaluation indicators, using the panel data of 30 provinces in China (excluding Xizang, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) from 2012 to 2021, a spatial panel simultaneous equation model is constructed based on adjacency matrix, geographical distance matrix and economic geographical distance matrix deeply study the interaction mechanism and spatial spillover effects between education poverty alleviation and rural revitalization through the generalized spatial three-stage least squares method (GS3SLS). The results indicate that there is a significant spatial spillover effect and a positive spatial correlation between education poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, and there is a significant interactive effect between the two variables, while promoting each other positively. Therefore, the government should clarify the deep relationship between education poverty alleviation and rural revitalization based on the current background, and better consolidate and expand the effective connection between the achievements of education poverty alleviation and rural revitalization.

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.

Restrictions and Countermeasures of Rural Vocational Education in Urban-rural Integration

Developing rural vocational education is of great significance to urban-rural integration: developing rural vocational education is helpful to cultivating new farmers for construction of new socialist countryside,favorable to improving farmers' ability of finding jobs and starting undertaking, and beneficial to transfer of rural surplus labor and acceleration of urbanization. Restrictions on development rural vocational education mainly include: low value cognition of society and social assessment of rural vocational education; out of balance of cost and expected return of rural vocational education; the quality of supply of rural vocational education failure to satisfy demand of socio-economic development; imperfect rural vocational education system. In view of these,following countermeasures and suggestions are put forward: strengthen propaganda and guidance to build environment of public opinion for rural vocational education; push forward rural vocational compulsory education system to lay social foundation for rural vocational education; reinforce policy support to assist in building rural vocational education system; improve education system to build overall framework of rural vocational education; perfect laws and regulations to establish system and norm for development of rural vocational education.

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.

Implementation Path of Green Vocational Education in Guangxi Under the Background of Rural Revitalization:Taking Civil Engineering Major as an Example

Green vocational education is a proactive response to the social objectives of sustainable development,building upon traditional vocational education.It serves as a crucial means to achieve sustainable development in both urban and rural areas.Green vocational education plays a significant role in cultivating diverse talents for rural revitalization.Therefore,there are corresponding pathways for implementing civil engineering talent training.This paper examines the current state of green vocational education development in Guangxi within the context of rural revitalization and proposes an implementation pathway based on civil engineering majors.These findings provide valuable insights towards realizing the integration and transformation of green vocational education.

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.

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.

The inequality of educational resources and its countermeasures for rural revitalization in southwest China

Equal access to education has long been a global concern and is important for rural revitalization strategy in the new era. However, little is known about the regional differences of educational resources in China, especially southwest China, where the spatial heterogeneity of human and physical geography is extremely significant. Using a dataset of primary and secondary schools of southwest China at county level in 2015, this study builds an index system to comprehensively measure the supply of educational resources, investigates the spatial pattern of educational resources via exploratory spatial data analysis(ESDA), and explores its influence factors through spatial econometrics. Results indicated that the supply level of educational resources in southwest China was relatively low;the high-high clusters of the supply of educational resources were mainly located in Sichuan Basin and the east of Western Sichuan Plateau, while the concentrated poverty-stricken areas of Guizhou and the border areas of Yunnan-SichuanGuizhou, especially Wumeng mountain area, were characterized by the low-low clusters. Furthermore, this study suggested that altitude, population density, local government revenue and rural residents' income were positively correlated with the supply of educational resources, while the negative influenceswere exerted by proportion of ethnic minority population and urbanization rate. And there were differences in the specific objects of actions of each factor. Ultimately, we proposed that village relocation and combination, as well as sustainable urbanization and regional development were practical paths to optimize the supply of educational resources in rural areas, thus promoting the modernization of agriculture and countryside.

Countermeasures for Intensive Use of Land from the Perspective of Urban-Rural Integration

This paper analyzes problems of excessive emphasis on expansion of urban land,improper village and town construction,and low land utilization efficiency in urban-rural integration construction.In line with characteristics and principle of intensive land use of urban-rural integration,it puts forward integration of urban-rural land layout,practically exploring connotation,and improving land intensification in many ways.Based on these,it presents countermeasures for intensive use of land from the perspective of urban-rural integration,including stressing function of overall planning of land use in integration and control of urban-rural regional development,raising population,ecological and economic bearing capacity of land on the condition of protecting arable land and focusing on intensive use of land,and promoting healthy,sustainable and coordinated development of industrialization,urbanization and urban-rural integration.

"Hollow Village" Evolution and Policy Control from the Perspective of Rural Urbanization: A Case Study of Jiangsu Province

From the perspective of the process of urbanization,this paper puts forward the corresponding public policy control by analyzing the characteristics of " hollowing" at different stages of urbanization. Moreover,the paper focuses on the stage of China's current urbanization.Based on the survey of migrant workers,this paper evaluates China's current policies,and argues that the rural " hollowing" is an objective that accompanies urbanization. At different stages of the process of urbanization,the rural " hollowing" presents different characteristics. Local governments should make policy and plan based on the different stages of local urbanization and local conditions,because of the extent of regional differences in economic and social development. This paper aims to guide the rural " hollowing" to develop toward the right direction.

A Study on the Factors Influencing the Income Gap between Urban and Rural Areas Based on State-space Model

The increasingly widening income gap between urban and rural areas is affected by many factors. Using the stepwise regression analysis,we find that urbanization level,socio-economic development,education level,financial development scale and financial development efficiency have the greatest impact on the income gap between urban and rural areas. By cointegration test,it is found that there is a long-term equilibrium relationship between these five variables and the income gap between urban and rural areas. We build the state-space model to research the dynamic impact of these factors on the income gap between urban and rural areas. The results show that by improving the level of urbanization,we can effectively narrow the income gap between urban and rural areas,while socio-economic development,the improvement of education level,expansion of financial development scale and financial development efficiency all significantly expand the income gap between urban and rural areas.