The Evaluation of Rural Territorial Functions: A Case Study of Henan, China

China＇s new urbanization process requires coordinated development between cities and rural areas. Territorial functions of rural areas are defined as advantageous effects on nature and human society that, in particular, rural systems perform via their property and interactions with other systems at certain social development stages. This paper establishes an index System for evaluating rural territorial functions including agricultural function, social function, economic function and ecological function. By establishing a model based on a General Regression Neural Network （GRNN） with the county-level as the basic unit, we comprehensively evaluate the rural territorial functions of 109 counties and/or cities in Henan province, China in 2000, 2005 and 2010. Results show that compared with that in 2000, each function in 2010 improved, with the spatial heterogeneity of economic func- tion the most evident, social service function comparatively balanced and spatial distribution of agricultural produc- tion function changing little. Cluster analysis was adopted to study the major functions of rural regions. Henan was divided into six major function zones to enhance administrative management and developmental policy. The six major function zones are Type I （core economic development zone）, Type II （agricultural production safeguarding zone）, Type III （function improving zone for rural areas）, Type IV （model zone of livelihood and social services）, Type V （economic restructuring and development zone）, and Type Vl （nature conservation areas）. Different development goals and development strategies should be considered according to different major function areas to achieve the coordinated development of urban and rural areas in China.

Rural Development Evaluation from Territorial Function Angle:a Case of Shandong Province

Rural territorial function follows the trend to develop from agricultural production space to a complex of cultural heritage,food security,social stability,quality of living,etc.Based on the rural area＇s territorial function to both urban and rural areas and its evolution law,index system of rural development evaluation,covering rural production function,rural consumption function,regional sustaining function,and individual development function were constructed in this paper.Case study based on Shandong Province and entropy method showed that the rural development in Shandong Province was neither stable nor orderly,and some of rural territorial functions were under fluctuation.The simulation result was close to the actual situation in rural areas of Shandong Province,and therefore,it would provide some experience for scientific evaluation of rural development in other regions.In the end,policy suggestion to cope with rural function transition was provided,namely further promoting the rural economic development,and breaking away from various factors that restricted the value realization,natural increment,and equitable distribution of rural production factors,and therefore,it would receive a sustainable rural development.

Unpacking the‘supply-utilization-demand’interplay:Keys to multifunctional sustainability in rural China

Sustainable rural development is predicated on a delicate balance between rural territorial functions and eco-logical constraints.While various functions can catalyze economic growth in rural settings,aligning them with inherent ecological variables is essential.An exhaustive analysis of Beijing’s Pinggu District elucidated specific supply-demand thresholds and evaluated the adaptability of current utilization within these boundaries,culmi-nating in a novel optimization strategy.Notably,while locals place significant emphasis on production functions,the area’s topography and soil characteristics present palpable challenges to achieving these goals.We discov-ered that‘shackle type’predominantly characterize individual rural territorial functions,while‘diversified weak function optimization type’define multifunctional aspects,showcasing varied development paths and uncov-ering potential strategies for sustainable improvement.This study contributes a groundbreaking perspective to sustainable rural development,offering key insights and strategic recommendations for policy formulation.

The functional evolution and system equilibrium of urban and rural territories

The coordinated development of urban and rural territorial systems has long been a scientific issue of concern in geography and socioeconomic development in China.Based on Territorial Function Theory,this paper establishes a theoretical framework to support the coordinated development of urban and rural territorial systems,analyzes the trend of functional evolution,discusses the impact of efficient allocation and orderly element flow on system equivalence development,and puts forward approaches and policy suggestions for equilibrium development in the future.The main conclusions are as follows:(1)The evolution of urban and rural territorial functions has experienced four stages:rural to rural,rural to urban transition,rural to urban,and urban to urban.In this process,territorial functions have been developed to be hierarchical and advanced.(2)Functional evolution enables urban and rural comparative advantages to be transformed from value difference to value equivalence.Increasing the flow intensity and reconstructing the flow space have become the necessary conditions for the coordination of development.(3)Land is the most important resource in China,and land system reform is the key to achieving equivalence development of urban and rural territorial systems,thereby determining the future equilibrium development of the two systems.