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.

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”.

Metropolitan Housing Development in Urban Fringe Areas-A Case Study of Three Metropolitan Cities of South Africa: Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane

Purpose:The metropolitan cities of Johannesburg,Ekurhuleni and Tshwane play an important role in the economy of the Gauteng province in South Africa.The region constitutes to 22.4 percent of the total population of South Africa and has a strong presence and contributes in areas of manufacturing sector,financial and business services,retail and wholesale trade,etc.The rapid urban population,increase in the informal settlements and socio-economic opportunities has resulted in considerable urban sprawl in and around the urban fringe areas of these metropolitan cities.The urban fringe areas of these metros often come under the influence of rapid urbanization process and pressures.Coupled with the economical and potential land dynamics and lack of priority of spatial development guidelines,these areas attract rapid and haphazard development from communities and developers.Research Design/Methodology:This research is based on a qualitative approach through a comprehensive literature review that included content analysis of key documents on housing sector such as IDPs(Integrated Development Plans),Municipal Annual Reports,Growth Development Strategies,and among other sectoral documents on housing sector.Some of the key priority issues considered in the housing sector included:eradication of housing backlogs,spatial restructuring of housing,provision of choice in terms of location,tenure and housing typology.Findings:The current paper discusses the approaches of metropolitan housing development processes in three metropolitan cities of South Africa from Gauteng region,namely:Johannesburg,Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.The paper discusses the existing housing sectoral scenario along with the fringe areas in three cities with focus on:formal and informal settlements,housing segregation and the backlogs,current institutional arrangements,role of public private participation,and scope for alternate mechanisms.The paper concludes in discussion on sustainable development options for housing development in urban fringe areas.

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.

Delineation of urban growth boundary based on FLUS model under the perspective of land use evaluation in hilly mountainous areas

With rapid economic development,the size of urban land in China is expanding dramatically.The Urban Growth Boundary(UGB)is an expandable spatial boundary for urban construction in a certain period in order to control the urban sprawl.Reasonable delineation of UGB can inhibit the disorderly spread of urban space and guide the normal development of the city.It is of practical significance for the construction of green urban space.The study utilizes GIS technology to establish a land construction suitability evaluation system for Nankang city,which is experiencing rapid urban expansion,and outlines the preliminary UGB under the future land use simulation(FLUS)model.At the same time,considering the coupled coordination of"Production-Living-Ecological Space",and based on the suitability evaluation,we revised the preliminary UGB by combining the advantages of the patch-generating land use simulation(PLUS)model and the convex hull model to delineate the final UGB.The results show that:1)the comprehensive score of the evaluation of the suitability of the construction of land from high to low shows the distribution of the center of the city to the surrounding circle type spread,the center of the city has the highest suitability score.The results of convex hull model show that the urban expansion type of Nankang is epitaxial.In the future,the urban expansion will mainly occur in the northern part of the city.The PLUS model predicts an increase of 3359.97 hm^(2)of construction land in Nankang by 2035,of which 2022.97 hm^(2)is urban construction land.2)The FLUS model has a prediction accuracy of 86.3%and delineates a preliminary UGB area of 9215.07 hm^(2).3)We used the results of the construction suitability evaluation,PLUS model simulation results,and convex hull model predictions to revise the originally delineated UGB.The final delineated UGB area is 8895.67 hm^(2)and it is capable of meeting the future development of the study area.The results of the delineation can promote sustainable urban development,and the delineation methodology can provide a reference basis for the preparation of territorial spatial planning.

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.

Role of self-help groups on socioeconomic development and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)among rural women in Cooch Behar District,India

This study examines the transformative role of self-help groups(SHGs)in the socioeconomic development of rural women in Cooch Behar District,India,and their contribution toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)of the United Nations.In this study,we explored the effect of SHGs on rural women by specifically addressing SDGs,such as no poverty(SDG 1),zero hunger(SDG 2),good health and well-being(SDG 3),quality education(SDG 4),and gender equality(SDG 5).Given this issue,a cross-sectional survey and comparison analyses are needed to assess the socioeconomic development of rural women and their awareness level before and after the participation of rural women in SHGs.The survey conducted as part of this study was divided into three sections,namely,demographic characteristics,socioeconomic development,and awareness level,with each focusing on different aspects.A group of 400 individuals who were part of SHGs completed the questionnaire survey form.The results showed that the participation of rural women in SHGs significantly improved their socioeconomic development and awareness level,as supported by both mean values and t test results.Memberships in SHGs and microcredit programs were the major elements that boosted the socioeconomic development of rural women,which also achieves SDGs 1,2,3,4,and 5.This study revealed that participation in SHGs and related financial services significantly aided rural women in economically disadvantaged communities in accumulating savings and initiating entrepreneurial ventures.Moreover,participation in SHGs was instrumental in enhancing the self-confidence,self-efficacy,and overall self-esteem of rural women.Finally,doing so enabled them to move more freely for work and other activities and to make family and common decisions.

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.

Ethnic Customs and Rural Tourism Development in Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County of Fushun City

The development of ethnic minority tourism is currently a hot topic in domestic tourism development.As an important component of Chinese civilization,the Manchu people have created brilliant culture in the long river of historical development.As the hometown of the Manchu people,Fushun has unique folk cultural tourism resources and a strong ethnic flavor.Nowadays,under the promotion of the rural revitalization strategy,the construction of new rural areas is constantly developing,and rural tourism is gradually becoming a new industry.Therefore,in the context of the increasingly prosperous rural tourism industry,it has become increasingly important to combine the ethnic customs of Manchu culture with rural tourism.Taking the ethnic customs and integrated development of rural tourism in Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County of Fushun City,Liaoning Province as the research object,this paper mainly sorts out the current situation and characteristics of rural tourism development in the region,systematically explores the problems in development and how to further optimize development,and proposes new models suitable for the development of folk tourism in Xinbin of Fushun,in order to achieve maximum economic and social benefits and provide a reference for promoting the development of tourism in the region.

Identity of Urban Spaces: Assessment and Evaluation

As a major symbol of civilization,the city was built by man for his security and comfort.It is not only a settlement,but also an urban development which has been identified with the spirit that has been breathed into the community.Urban identity which is also known as collective identity,has gained meaning through the content of objective manifestation and the creation of flashbacks,citizens’memories and mental associations.That is what makes urban dwellers become citizens.Although the identity of the city is a result of civic culture,it still has an influence on the process of citizenship and can also be a reason for developing criteria related to the participation and assessment of its inhabitants.According to the view that identity is a set of traits and characteristics that distinguishes the dignity of a person and a society from other individuals and communities,a city becomes characterized and independent by adhering to these criteria.Despite the importance of identity as one of the richest qualitative aspects of urban life that gives meaning and fulfilment to the human quiddity,this complicated and expanded concept has still not been seriously considered,especially in relation to urban spaces.In fact,identity in architecture and urban spaces has recently diminished,since the main focus lies on building spaces for optimized profit and not for high quality living areas.In this research paper,parameters affecting urban identity are evaluated,and strategies and guidelines to promote these parameters are finally presented.

Professional Development of Rural PE Teachers from the Perspective of PCK:A Case Study of Huaiji County

Based on the four dimensions of PCK,this paper investigates the professional development of rural PE teachers in Huaiji County by using the research methods of literature,questionnaire,interview and mathematical statistics.Based on PCK related theories,this paper analyzes the current situation of professional development of rural PE teachers in Huaiji County,explores the problems existing in the process of professional development,and provides an optimal path for the professional development of rural PE teachers,so as to improve the teaching ability and classroom quality of rural PE teachers,and promote the further development of rural PE education under the background of new curriculum reform.Through the research,it is found that the shortcomings of rural PE teachers are:lack of situational knowledge;lack of understanding of the course content;not flexible use of teaching representation;low ability to identify the differences of students learning styles;lack of understanding of social environment,etc.

Circulation of Development Factors Promoted by Innovation of Land Management Under Background of Rural Vitalization:A Case Study of Tengtou Village in Zhejiang Province,China

Land is the space carrier for the existence and flow of other development factors.Activating rural land and promoting the circulation of other development factors through land management innovation is necessary to realize rural vitalization.This paper identifies the connotation of factor flow in the rural vitalization context,the action mechanism of land management innovation to boost the flow of development factors,the issues and obstacles restricting factor circulation,and the realization mechanism of the flow of development factors in rural vitalization.Based on the analytic paradigm constructed in the paper,the successful practice of promoting the flow of development factors through innovative land management in a model village is examined.The results show that:1)the unreasonable systems characterized by the land use system in rural areas are the main obstacles causing circulation issues in development factors.It is essential to engage in comprehensive reform to break down these long-lasting obstacles to the smooth flow of development factors.2)The land should play a leading role in the circulation of development factors in the background of rural vitalization;the main purpose of land management innovation is to activate the land factor,thereby promoting the circulation of other factors.3)The activated land factor will act as a‘trigger’to promote capital and technology in rural settings and use capital and technology to attract the inflow of talents and the return of migrant workers,whereby the population factor will act as a‘catalyst’for the cultivation of rural culture,bringing about the integration of various development factors.4)The innovation of land use and management,increased funding,and new technologies have brought multiple talents to Tengtou Village.The high-frequency mutual feedback between the village’s own and the external development factors resulted in its successful integration of industrial development.

Rural Development Transformation and Social Governance from the Perspective of Specialization:A Case Study of Ruiling Village in Guangzhou City,China

The reorganization of the global production network and the increased mobility of urban-rural elements have accelerated the differentiation of rural spaces,resulting in a trend towards specialization in rural areas.This paper focuses on the concept of specialization,and takes a renowned bonsai specialized village in Guangzhou City,China as a typical case to explore its transformation and development process,action logic and coupling mechanism with the social governance.The results show that:1)the development of rural specialization in Ruiling Village is shaped by several key actors,such as local governments,grassroots organizations,villagers,social organizations,policies,markets and infrastructure.The transfer of these key actors and the reconstruction of actor-networks in different stages have an important influence on the transformation and realization of rural development goals.2)Through subjects-driven,organization management and resource connection,social governance supports the specialization of rural industrial organization,operation,technology and mode.The governance structure shifts from decentralization to networking,refinement and integration.A coupling community of social governance and specialization is created by the social governance system of‘local government-grassroots organizationseconomic cooperatives-villagers’,which links industries,industrial chains and cooperatives.3)Social governance integrates into the value chain extension process of rural specialized development with a central,multi-level organizational structure.It promotes the construction of the whole value chain through organizational planning,resource integration and image shaping,thus realizing the value,branding and organization of the industry,as well as the integration of rural sustainable development and governance mechanism.Social governance has a profound impact on the development of rural specialization in terms of subject,structure and mode,and participates in the construction of the whole value chain of rural areas.This paper provides a new perspective for understanding the coupling effect of social governance in the rural development transformation,and promotes the rural sustainable development and governance.

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.

Spatiotemporal Differences and Classification Regulation of Urbanization Impact on Agricultural Development in Shrinking Areas:A Case Study of 15 Shrinking Cities in Three Provinces of Northeast China

Studying the impact of urbanization on agricultural development in shrinking areas is important for maintaining food security and promoted agricultural development in China.Based on the measurement results of the shrinking cities in the three provinces of Northeast China,this paper selects 15 shrinking cities as the research object,and constructs a multi-dimensional index system to explore the impact of the urbanization level of the shrinking areas on the agricultural development in the region since 2007–2019,analyzes the influencing factors and their differences by using the geographically-weighted regression model and Geodetector,and proposes a targeted regulation strategy.The results show that:1)overall,there is a negative correlation between the urbanization level and the agricultural development level in the contracted areas of the three northeastern provinces.The urbanization level in these areas has a certain negative impact on the overall level of agricultural development;2)regarding the time dimension,the impact of urbanization level on the agricultural development level in the contracted areas of the three northeastern provinces gradually increases over time;3)regarding the spatial pattern,the overall impact of shrinking urbanization levels in the three provinces of Northeast China on the agricultural development shows a significant distribution pattern of high in the east and low in the west;4)the total population and natural population growth rate at the end of the year were the main factors influencing a certain level of urbanization on agricultural development in the shrinking cities while population density and the urban fixed asset investment rate were the secondary factors;and 5)the main reasons why the level of agricultural development in different cities was affected by the level of urbanization were different.However,they can be categorized into areas of population loss and spatial construction,which can be further divided into area of population loss in the northeast,areas of negative population growth in the west,and areas of urban spatial change in the south.According to the causes of the impact,this paper adopted targeted regulation strategies and formulated relevant policies and solutions that cater to local conditions.

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.

High-quality Development Path of Henan Agriculture and Rural Areas Empowered by Digital Inclusive Finance

By studying high-quality development process of Henan agriculture and rural areas empowered by digital inclusive finance,it is found that the construction of digital financial infrastructure in Henan Province is relatively complete,and the level of deposit and loan of rural enterprises and farmers is constantly improving,and the market and government are constantly upgrading the financial risk insurance compensation mechanism.At the same time,there are also problems such as insufficient demand and supply of digital finance,single digital financial products,and weak market supervision.Based on this,some implementation paths are proposed,such as continuing to strengthen the construction of rural financial infrastructure in Henan Province,improving farmers’financial literacy,and enriching digital financial products and services.The government should continue to improve the construction of market system,and broaden the market supervision and management,to actively promote the digitalization of agricultural finance to enable the high-quality development of agriculture and rural areas in Henan Province.

Existing Problems and Countermeasures of Rural Industry Development in Bijie Experimental Area

The development of rural industries in Bijie City of Guizhou Province leads the comprehensive rural revitalization with industrial revitalization,takes high-quality development as the overall guide,focuses on industrial scale,standardization,branding,and marketization,and strives to extend the industrial chain and enhance the value chain to achieve the prosperity of rural industries.In this study,it investigated the current situation of rural industry development in Bijie City(improving the quality and efficiency of characteristic industries,expanding the quantity and efficiency of agricultural products processing industry,recruiting and cultivating large business entities,expanding and strengthening the brand of agricultural products,and upgrading the rural tourism).Through analysis,it found that there are problems such as small scale of production enterprises,insufficient cultivation of independent brands,short industrial chain,low added value,weak market expansion ability,imperfect interest connection mechanism,and insufficient participation of farmers.Finally,it came up with countermeasures for the development of rural industries in Bijie City,including improving supporting facilities and building an extension base;strengthening leading enterprises and focus on deep processing;highlighting regional characteristics and paying close attention to the docking of production and marketing;enhancing the characteristic brand and strengthening the support of science and technology;promoting collaboration and support,and making innovation in the connection of interests.

Relationship between Sustainable Land Use and Rural Economic Development:A Case Study of Meining Village,Pingma Town in Guangxi

For a long time,rural economic development has put economic benefits in the first place,ignoring the impact of unreasonable land use on local land resources and ecological environment,which is not conducive to the long-term high-quality development of local economy and sustainable land use.There is an urgent need to study the relationship between sustainable land use and rural economic development in order to achieve the coordinated development of the two.By using the methods of literature research and field investigation,this paper studies Meining Village,Tiandong County,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.The study found that farmers tend to plant pure eucalyptus forest,single land use structure,short-term rotation planting model and traditional afforestation and land preparation technology are not conducive to sustainable land use in forest areas,and affected by economic and educational factors,farmers livelihood is relatively simple,so the development of rural economy will be restricted.In view of the above problems,this paper puts forward the following solutions:changing the land use model of Meining Village to promote sustainable land use;introducing advanced science and technology and diversified livelihood ways to promote the sustainable development of rural economy;building a virtuous circle of sustainable land use and rural economic development.

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.