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.

Factors Influencing the Spatial Variability of Air Temperature Urban Heat Island Intensity in Chinese Cities

Few studies have investigated the spatial patterns of the air temperature urban heat island(AUHI)and its controlling factors.In this study,the data generated by an urban climate model were used to investigate the spatial variations of the AUHI across China and the underlying climate and ecological drivers.A total of 355 urban clusters were used.We performed an attribution analysis of the AUHI to elucidate the mechanisms underlying its formation.The results show that the midday AUHI is negatively correlated with climate wetness(humid:0.34 K;semi-humid:0.50 K;semi-arid:0.73 K).The annual mean midnight AUHI does not show discernible spatial patterns,but is generally stronger than the midday AUHI.The urban–rural difference in convection efficiency is the largest contributor to the midday AUHI in the humid(0.32±0.09 K)and the semi-arid(0.36±0.11 K)climate zones.The release of anthropogenic heat from urban land is the dominant contributor to the midnight AUHI in all three climate zones.The rural vegetation density is the most important driver of the daytime and nighttime AUHI spatial variations.A spatial covariance analysis revealed that this vegetation influence is manifested mainly through its regulation of heat storage in rural land.

Temporal and spatial differences in human activities performed in Urban Green Spaces of Vilnius(Lithuania)

Urban green spaces(UGS)are relevant to city well-being,as recognized by the United Nations’Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).However,few studies have studied the temporal use of UGS.This work assessed the seasonal,weekly,and daily use of three urban green spaces(Vingis Park,Bernardino Garden,and Jomantas Park)in Vilnius(Lithuania).The study is based on an on-site observation-based survey,which recorded users’characteristics,activities,and weather conditions during summer and winter.The results showed that UGS’s seasonal,weekly,and daily use differed according to park and users’characteristics.Parks with a higher diversity of facilities had a high seasonal difference in the number of observed activities.User numbers were higher in the summer for activities with children,social activities,sports,and water activities than in the winter.Jomantas Park had the lowest variability in user characteristics.Weather variables were linked to changes in users’activities.Higher precipitation and lower temperature were associated with reducing the number of users and the diversity of registered activities.Most of the stationary activities were observed during summer.The diversity of the observed activities was associated with the available facilities rather than the park size.The distribution of stationary activities was spatially correlated with facility/equipment(benches,playgrounds,sports,and fitness equipment)and proximity to water features.The results of this study are relevant for UGS design,planning,and management.

Spatiotemporal Differentiation of Urban Spatial Form and Carbon Emissions in Poyang Lake City Group

In response to the inherent requirements of low-carbon land spatial planning in Jiangxi Province and the lack of existing research,this paper explored the mechanism of spatial form elements of Poyang Lake urban agglomeration on urban carbon emissions.Based on generalized linear regression and geographically weighted regression models,this paper analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of carbon emissions,the spatiotemporal relationship between urban form index and carbon emissions,and the spatial differentiation of the intensity of dominant factors from 63 county-level administrative units in the Poyang Lake city group from 2005 to 2020.The results showed that:①The carbon emissions of urban agglomerations around Poyang Lake are generally increasing,and the spatial distribution of carbon emissions is characterized by high-value concentration in the middle and low-value agglomeration in pieces;②The main driving factor for the spatial heterogeneity of carbon emissions was the expansion of built-up area;③Improving urban compactness and optimizing urban form could effectively reduce urban carbon emissions.The results showcased the correlation between urban spatial landscape pattern and the spatiotemporal distribution of carbon emissions,which could make the low-carbon land spatial planning in the Poyang Lake city group more reasonable and practical.

The Study on the Evolution of Urban Spatial Structure in Zhuhai City Based on Spatial Syntax

With the deepening of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area strategy and the accelerated integration and development of the east and west sides of the Pearl River Estuary,Zhuhai’s hub position is becoming more and more prominent.The city of Zhuhai has a dense water network and is divided into two urban areas,the east and the west,under the influence of the Mordor Gate waterway.Based on the theory of spatial syntax,this paper carries out an analytical study on the urban spatial structure of Zhuhai,identifies the distribution characteristics of urban POIs,and provides theoretical support for the urban development of Zhuhai.

Geospatial Analysis of Urban Heat Island Effects and Tree Equity

In recent decades, Urban Heat Island Effects have become more pronounced and more widely examined. Despite great technological advances, our current societies still experience great spatial disparity in urban forest access. Urban Heat Island Effects are measurable phenomenon that are being experienced by the world’s most urbanized areas, including increased summer high temperatures and lower evapotranspiration from having impervious surfaces instead of vegetation and trees. Tree canopy cover is our natural mitigation tool that absorbs sunlight for photosynthesis, protects humans from incoming radiation, and releases cooling moisture into the air. Unfortunately, urban areas typically have low levels of vegetation. Vulnerable urban communities are lower-income areas of inner cities with less access to heat protection like air conditioners. This study uses mean evapotranspiration levels to assess the variability of urban heat island effects across the state of Tennessee. Results show that increased developed land surface cover in Tennessee creates measurable changes in atmospheric evapotranspiration. As a result, the mean evapotranspiration levels in areas with less tree vegetation are significantly lower than the surrounding forested areas. Central areas of urban cities in Tennessee had lower mean evapotranspiration recordings than surrounding areas with less development. This work demonstrates the need for increased tree canopy coverage.

Spatial restructuring and the logic of industrial land redevelopment in urban China: Ⅳ. A case study of jointly redevelopment by multi-actors

Within the inventory era, urban shrinkage characterized by economic decline and space decay has been widely witnessed in China. The modes and trajectories of urban redevelopment have thus become areas of major concern for both policymakers and scholars. Taking the multi-actor participation nature of redevelopment, this paper stemming from the game-theoretical approach demonstrates in empirical terms on two major fronts. First, the redevelopment of industrial land without the transfer of land use right is shown to be deadlocked by the incapacitation of the original land-user and unlocked with the participation of the new developer. Second, the preference of the original land-user to maximize its interests by operating by itself rather than continue to cooperate with the new developer is observed in the post-redevelopment stage. Therein, the entrepreneurial local government acts only as a “mediator” between the two market entities and tends not to directly intervene in their cooperation. Thus that, it is the reasonable distribution of potential benefits or the pricing of different rights in the land property right bundle rather than their definition that matters more for land redevelopment. Because the delineation of land property rights has never been a problem in a mature land market, particularly for stock industrial land.

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.

Examining the Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Determinants of Land Urbanization in Prefecture-level Cities,China

Examining the spatiotemporal dynamics and determinants of land urbanization is critical for promoting healthy urban development and the rational use of land resources.Based on the dataset consisting of land use change data and selected factors in 2010 and2020,this study used visual analysis to reveal the spatiotemporal dynamics of land urbanization across prefecture-level cities in China.Meanwhile,the driving forces underlying land urbanization were examined by using geographical detector technique.Following are the findings:1)we find that there exist notable spatial variances in land urbanization across prefecture-level cities.Currently,the differentiation in land urbanization between the northern and southern cities is more pronounced than that between the coastal and inland cities,or between the eastern and western cities.Prefecture-level cities located in central and western China have experienced the most rapid growth in land urbanization.Conversely,the growth rate in northeastern China is the lowest,while the velocity in eastern China remains relatively stable.By using spatial autocorrelation analysis,this study reveals that the land urbanization level in prefecture-level cities has significant spatial agglomeration.2)We further find that land urbanization in China is influenced by factors related to urban land supply and demand,and urban population growth,economic growth,land financial and political incentive have greater impact on land urbanization than other factors.3)We also find that the impacts of determinants on China’s land urbanization vary over time,the explanatory power of economic development increased,while the explanatory power of state forces declined.We argue that integrating the supply and demand factors of land urbanization can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the driving mechanisms underlying land urbanization in China and other transitional countries,and help decision-makers in these countries formulate more detailed and specific land urbanization policies.

Real-Time Prediction of Urban Traffic Problems Based on Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Mobile Ad Hoc Networks(MANETS)

Traffic in today’s cities is a serious problem that increases travel times,negatively affects the environment,and drains financial resources.This study presents an Artificial Intelligence(AI)augmentedMobile Ad Hoc Networks(MANETs)based real-time prediction paradigm for urban traffic challenges.MANETs are wireless networks that are based on mobile devices and may self-organize.The distributed nature of MANETs and the power of AI approaches are leveraged in this framework to provide reliable and timely traffic congestion forecasts.This study suggests a unique Chaotic Spatial Fuzzy Polynomial Neural Network(CSFPNN)technique to assess real-time data acquired from various sources within theMANETs.The framework uses the proposed approach to learn from the data and create predictionmodels to detect possible traffic problems and their severity in real time.Real-time traffic prediction allows for proactive actions like resource allocation,dynamic route advice,and traffic signal optimization to reduce congestion.The framework supports effective decision-making,decreases travel time,lowers fuel use,and enhances overall urban mobility by giving timely information to pedestrians,drivers,and urban planners.Extensive simulations and real-world datasets are used to test the proposed framework’s prediction accuracy,responsiveness,and scalability.Experimental results show that the suggested framework successfully anticipates urban traffic issues in real-time,enables proactive traffic management,and aids in creating smarter,more sustainable cities.

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Typical Ecosystem Services and Their Spatial Responses to Driving Factors in Ecologically Fragile Areas in Upper Yellow River,China

The identification of dominant driving factors for different ecosystem services(ESs)is crucial for ecological conservation and sustainable development.However,the spatial heterogeneity of the dominant driving factors affecting various ESs has not been adequately elucidated,particularly in ecologically fragile regions.This study employed the integrated valuation of ESs and trade-offs(InVEST)model to evaluate four ESs,namely,water yield(WY),soil conservation(SC),habitat quality(HQ),and carbon storage(CS),and then to identify the dominant driving factors of spatiotemporal differentiation of ES and further to characterize the spatial heterogeneity characteristics of the dominant driving factors in the eco-fragile areas of the upper Yellow River,China from 2000 to 2020.The results demonstrated that WY exhibited northeast-high and northwest-low patterns in the upper Yellow River region,while high values of SC and CS were distributed in central forested areas and a high value of HQ was distributed in vast grassland areas.The CS,WY,and SC exhibited decreasing trends over time.The most critical factors affecting WY,SC,HQ,and CS were the actual evapotranspiration,precipitation,slope,and normalized difference vegetation index,respectively.In addition,the effects of different factors on various ESs exhibited spatial heterogeneity.These results could provide spatial decision support for eco-protection and rehabilitation in ecologically fragile areas.

A Survey of Bulgarian(National)Planning and Regulation Acts and Documents Concerning Urban Sprawl

In the last 20 years,the built-up areas of Europe have increased by 20%,while the population increased by 6% only.Given the fact that urban sprawl occurs when the rate of land-use conversion exceeds the rate of population growth,we can now talk about the existence of urban sprawl in Europe.In Bulgaria,during the period 2004-2012,the developers’interest in agricultural and forest lands located outside the development zones of different settlements increased in parallel with the construction development of urban areas,mainly around larger towns,resort and holiday areas.The low price of agricultural lands can be seen as one of the main reasons in this regard.The issues of the utilization of agricultural lands,their conversion into urban(construction)lands,and zoning have been defined by a number of national and local legal acts,which were passed and subsequently renewed/modified in a more recent period.The main act regulating the spatial planning and construction on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria is the SPA(Spatial Planning Act).The ALPA(Agricultural Land Protection Act)and its corresponding regulations provide an appropriate legal basis for the protection of agricultural lands and their yield.Overall,as different acts and regulations concerning issues related to the conversion of agricultural,forest,and protected areas are not in conflict,they may be said to have been harmonized.There are,however,some points which leave possibilities for uncontrolled urban growth.

Sustainable Urban Mobility: (A)Synchrony between Subway Systems

The present study analyses the differences between the subways systems of two cities, Lisbon (Portugal) and Brasília (Brazil), verifying the extent to which their subway systems are spatially integrated with the respective urban fabric-which would promote a better synchrony in terms of economy and sustainability. For interpreting the data, the methodology and tools of the Theory of the Social Logic of Space were used, by means of axial maps, researching the relationship between the constructed and empty (public spaces) areas of the urban structures. Based on the findings, meaningful differences between the subway systems and the configuration of urban spaces were observed, as a product of specific design matrixes. In Lisbon, the mobility associated to the subway seems to be encouraged by the integration of the system with the potential for movement provided by the urban tissue (making the secondary centralities articulated with the subway stations more dynamic). In Brasilia, however, there are several difficulties for such mobility, due to the predominant role of the empty spaces in the city which weakens the gathering potential of such areas, despite the fact that such articulation with secondary centralities is also present there.

Spatial-temporal changes of Tianjin urban spatial morphology from 1978 to 2004

Taken fractal dimension, compact ratio, urban centroid and urban principal axis as the urban spatial characteristic indices, Tianjin city＇s urban area is investigated in the last 26 years in a quantitative perspective, and its traits and changes during different periods are also analyzed. It is clear that these indices can not only scientifically and explicitly assess the urban morphology, urban direction and its changes and trends, but also uncover long-term effects of economy and urban planning on urban morphology.

Spatial patterns of urban land use growth in Beijing

By using digitized land use maps of Beijing in 1982, 1992 and 1997 and employing GIS spatial analysis techniques, this paper conducts an empirical study on the spatial differentiation and spatial patterns of urban land use growth in Beijing in the period of 1982–1997. It is observed that urban land use growth in Beijing went beyond the control of urban planning, in terms of the extraordinary high growth rate and undesired spatial pattern. The rate of urban expansion after 1982, which was predominated by growth of industrial land, was extraordinary high compared to its historical period. While its growth centers have been actively shifting toward the northern part, rather than toward the southern and eastern parts as designated by the latest General Plan (1991–2010) of Beijing, its spatial pattern of urban land use growth in general was in distinct concentric sprawl, which seriously violated the General Plan of Beijing.

Evolution and Spatial Patterns of Spheres of Urban Influence in China

This article presents the findings of a study of the spheres of urban influence with regard to all cities in China(not including Hong Kong,Macao and Taiwan Province of China)in the years 1990,2000 and 2009.An optimized gravity model with comprehensive time distance was used to carry out a detailed analysis of the spatial patterns of Chinese spheres of urban influence and the spatial characteristics of urban agglomerations.Such urban agglomerations are characterized by high density population and a developed economy,which are also considered as the national competition unit.This paper initially identifies four spatial patterns of urban agglomerations based on the spatial layout of city groups during their evolution.Some basic characteristics of urban agglomerations are outlined,including the number of cities,the size of cities and the functions of urban centers.These characteristics are examined by using statistical methods and Geographic Information System(GIS).The main findings from this research are that the development stages and structures of urban agglomerations in China vary significantly.It is also clear that the stages and evolution of spatial patterns are strongly affected and dominated by both policy and location factors.

Spatial Impact of High-speed Railway on the Urban Scale:An Empirical Analysis from Northeast China

The emergence of rapid transit,primarily represented by high-speed railway(HSR),while reshaping the regional traffic patterns,leads to the reconstruction and redistribution of population and industry.This leads to either shrinkage or expansion of urban scale.However,research on the influence mechanisms of the urban scale has mostly concentrated on historical,economic and social factors.The influence of traffic factors is rarely mentioned in current research.Therefore,this study examines Northeast China,where the change in urban scale is most significant,to discuss the spatial impact of high-speed railway on the urban scale.This is of great significance in terms of enriching current understanding of the factors affecting the urban scale.The results included the following:1)The high-speed railway produced considerable space-time convergence effects,however,simultaneously aggravated the imbalance in traffic development in Northeast China.The increase in accessibility presents attenuation characteristics from the high-speed railway.Additionally,the high-speed railway has changed the mode of cooperation between cities in the provinces,inter-regional and inter-provincial cooperation models gradually become popular.2)The change rate of accessibility and the urban scale present significant spatial coupling phenomena,with the change rate of the Harbin-Dalian trunk lines and its surroundings being more significant.3)There are predominantly four modes of the influence of high-speed railway on the urban scale,which make difference city present expansion or shrinkage.

STUDY OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN URBANIZATION SPEED AND CHANGE IN SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF RAINFALL OVER SHANGHAI

Using daily rainfall data of 11 observatory stations over Shanghai for the period 1960-2007,the spatial differences of rainfall over the Shanghai region during periods with slow and rapid urbanization respectively are investigated based on spatial standard deviation of rainfall and its relative variables.Results show that spatial differences increase with the acceleration of urbanization.Spatial distributions of annual rainfall and rainstorm frequency exhibit distinct urban 'rain-island' features during the rapid period of urbanization(1960-1983) while it is opposite in the case of slow urbanization(1984-2007).Changes in the spatial distribution of annual rainfall trends also take place during different periods.Specifically,the variation of annual rainfall exhibits consistent trends over the Shanghai region in the slow urbanization periods.However,inconsistent spatial distribution of variations has taken place over the central districts and suburbs of Shanghai during the rapid urbanization stage.Since the speeding-up of urbanization,the annual rainfall amount over central districts of Shanghai tends to increase while that in the suburbs shows a decreasing trend.In addition,as far as different seasons are concerned,the speed of urbanization exerts insignificant influences on the spatial distribution of rainfall during winter and spring.On the contrary,the rainfall during summer and autumn(especially summer) is featured with an island effect during the rapid urbanization period.

Spatial Pattern of Long-term Residence in the Urban Floating Population of China and its Influencing Factors

Exploring long-term residence among the urban floating population is crucial to understanding urban growth in China,particularly since the 2008 financial crisis.By using China Migrants Dynamic Survey data for 2012–2014,China Labor-force Dynamics Survey data for 2014–2016,and macroscale urban matched data,we analyzed the spatial pattern of long-term residential behavior in China’s urban floating population in 2012–2016 and developed an urban spatial utility equilibrium model containing‘macro’urban factors and‘micro’individual and household factors to explain the pattern.The results first revealed that long-term residence is defined as≥6 yr for the urban floating population in China.Second,members of this population are more likely to be long-term residents of the megacities in the three urban agglomerations in eastern China as well as of small and medium-sized cities in western and northeastern China,whereas short-term residence is more likely in cities in central China and near the three urban agglomerations.Third,urban population density and housing prices,both have a significant U-shaped effect,are main factors affecting the spatial pattern of long-term residence.

Examining the Relationship Between Spatial Configurations of Urban Impervious Surfaces and Land Surface Temperature

The urban heat island(UHI) effect has significant effects on the quality of life and public health. Numerous studies have addressed the relationship between UHI and the increase in urban impervious surface area(ISA), but few of them have considered the impact of the spatial configuration of ISA on UHI. Land surface temperature(LST) may be affected not only by urban land cover, but also by neighboring land cover. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of the abundance and spatial association of ISAs on LST. Taking Harbin City, China as an example, the impact of ISA spatial association on LST measurements was examined. The abundance of ISAs and the LST measurements were derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper(TM) imagery of 2000 and 2010, and the spatial association patterns of ISAs were calculated using the local Moran’s I index. The impacts of ISA abundance and spatial association on LST were examined using correlation analysis. The results suggested that LST has significant positive associations with both ISA abundance and the Moran’s I index of ISAs, indicating that both the abundance and spatial clustering of ISAs contribute to elevated values of LST. It was also found that LST is positively associated with clustering of high-ISA-percentage areas(i.e.,>50%) and negatively associated with clustering of low-ISA-percentage areas(i.e.,<25%). The results suggest that, in addition to the abundance of ISAs,their spatial association has a significant effect on UHIs.