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.

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.

Thinking about Value Realization of Ecological Products under the Background of Urban-rural Integration in Chengdu“Western Control”Area

Chengdu's development strategy of“western control”has laid a solid ecological background for 8 western districts,cities and counties and cultivated good ecological resources.The integrated urban-rural development in the new era will realize the balanced development of urban and rural areas and give full play to the value of rural ecological resources through the“powerful combination”of urban and rural areas.To realize the urban-rural integration and high-quality rural development in Chengdu“western control”area,it is necessary to enhance the awareness of ecological resources and ecological products,and carry out unified planning of ecological infrastructure,ecological material products and ecological service products in the whole“western control”area.Meantime,ecological restoration must be carried out scientifically,and scene design for value transformation of ecological products should be implemented innovatively.

Conservation-minded Urban Green Space System Planning in the Urban-rural Integration

Environmental and ecological problems in the urban-rural integration were analyzed, characteristics of urban green space system introduced, such as excellent landscape eco-structure, distinctive historical and humanistic features, and diversified natural landscape resources, and also challenges pointed out. Evolution, overall spatial structure and conservation concept of conservation-minded urban green space system planning were elaborated, on the basis of which the evaluation system of conservation-minded urban green space system was studied, and it was proposed that mutual relationship between impact factors of compound value and qualitative evaluation factors should be taken into consideration as a whole in evaluating conservation effects of green space system. Quantitative evaluation indexes and qualitative evaluation measures were analyzed, an objective and precise evaluation system for the conservation-minded urban green space system was established by combining qualitative and quantitative analysis to improve ecological environment during the urbanization, and fully show planning concepts of conservation-minded green space system.

Review on Practical Models of Urban-Rural Integration in China

Urban-rural integration is important for urbanization and strengthening of urban and rural development in China. Since the third session of the 16th National Committee, the model is still at experimental stage, although with some progress. Hence, it is necessary to make a summary on some typical experience of urban-ru- ral integration, in order to provide references for further exploration.

Development Path of Urban-rural Integration

The urban and rural areas are regarded as two major components of the regional economic system. Only through joint balanced development of the two can we achieve overall economic optimization and social welfare maximization. But the great social division of labor has separated urban areas from rural areas,which casts the shadow of city-oriented theory on cooperative relations between urban and rural areas. Mutual separation between urban and rural settlements and independent development trigger off a range of social problems. We must undertake guidance through rational development path of urban-rural integration,to eliminate the phenomenon of urban-rural dual structure,and promote the sustainable development of population,resources and environment in urban and rural areas as soon as possible.

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.

The Research of the Balanced Development of China's Urban-rural Spatial Integration Based on the Evolution of Regional Spatial Structure

The general law of regional spatial evolution is researched.In the process of the evolution of four stages,namely the early stage of traditional agriculture and industrialization,the middle stage of industrialization,the later stage of industrialization and post-industrialization,the types of space are homogenized space,polarized space,pole-axis space and integrated space respectively;the choosing of the spatial location is influenced by economy,society and environment,and the spatial structure extends along with three-dimensional space.Based on the fact that China's urban-rural spatial structure evolution develops rapidly,and the outstanding characteristics of dual structure becomes the main obstacle to urban-rural balanced development,the thesis poses the countermeasures of China's urban-rural spatial integrated balanced development.It points out that the healthy development of socio-economy is the external environment of realizing urban-rural spatial integration;the urban-rural coordinated planning is the prerequisite of realizing urban-rural spatial integration;fulfilling the governmental function is the key to realizing urban-rural spatial integration;promoting agricultural industrialization is the approach to realizing urban-rural spatial integration;perfecting social security system is the basis of realizing urban-rural spatial integration.

Spatial Governance of Multi-Plan Integration in the County Area:A Case Study of Sihui City

This study discussed the contradiction and reform experience of multi-plan integration in Sihui from the perspective of spatial governance.The research found:in terms of contradictions,the right and responsibility of management departments in the county area of Sihui were crosscutting,the township governance responsibilities needed urgent improvement,the urban-rural governance problems were different,the spatial governance elements were not unified,and the contradiction in the implementation mechanism was the implementation of projects.Through the multi-plan integration reform,Sihui reconstructed the right and responsibility relationship of the spatial governance departments,unified the elements of spatial governance,and refactored the implementation mechanism by reconstructing the transmission mechanism of the spatial planning system and the project approval mechanism and establishing the dynamic evaluation and adjustment mechanism.

Construction of Urban-rural Integration Evaluation System in Nanchang City and Empirical Studies

Taking Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province for example, this paper took 17 sub-indexes from five fields, namely integration of space, population, society, economy and ecology to analyze the dynamic urban-rural integration of the city in the past decade, compared it with fruits of Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou, and concluded that the future urban-rural integration of Nanchang should be carried out from the perspectives of optimization of industrial structure, population agglomeration, issues concerning "agriculture, rural areas and peasants", and environmental protection.

Research on the Coordinated Development of Rural Revitalization and Human-centered Urbanization Based on Urban-rural Integration

Although there are certain differences in the center of gravity between rural revitalization and human-centered urbanization,their connotations and goals require that both must be promoted in concert.Therefore,based on a deep understanding of the connotation of rural revitalization and human-centered urbanization,it is necessary to clarify the goals of the two through the two-way flow of elements between urban and rural areas,the urban-rural linkage of industries,to achieve coordinated promotion of rural revitalization and human-centered urbanization in China.

A Comparative Study of Development and Reform of Urban-Rural Integration in Chengdu and Chongqing Based on System Theory

Chengdu and Chongqing,as two core cities in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle,have always been in the front rank of development and reform of urban-rural integration in China.But due to different basic conditions,ideas and priorities are different in the two cities.This paper establishes an analysis framework based on system theory,conducts a systematic comparison on the development and reform of urban-rural integration in the two cities to achieve a comprehensive comparison study and finds out that:(a) Owing to different basic conditions,Chengdu and Chongqing have adopted different reform ideas and measures.Chengdu places more emphasis on systematic advancement,while Chongqing attaches more importance to key breakthroughs.(b) Chengdu’s high level shows that in the practice of urban-rural integration,independent policies and measures in local areas have limited effects.System efficiency can surpass the sum of local areas’ efficiencies only if a systematic method is adopted to comprehensively promote policies and measures for institutional innovations in various fields.

Study on the Modes and Strategies of Integrated Urban-Rural Construction

The connotation of urban-rural integration,its construction courses,construction modes in China and abroad are introduced in this study,the problems emerging from the urban-rural integration practices are analyzed,and strategies for the urban-rural integration in China are proposed.

Whether the digital economy will successfully encourage the integration of urban and rural development: A case study in China

The digital economy has become an important driver for stimulating economic growth.The digital economy has now widely penetrated the fields of economy and society,providing new opportunities for the develop‐ment of urban-rural integration.Based on panel data for 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020,this study constructed an index system for the integration of the digital economy and the development of urban-rural areas and conducted a systematic measurement analysis.Additionally,we used a two-step system of GMM estimation to analyze the impact of the digital economy on the development of urban-rural integra‐tion.The findings demonstrate the significant imbalance paradox of China’s digital economy development,which is shown in a gradient where the eastern region is higher than the center and the central region is higher than the west.Urban-rural integration levels in China fluctuate and display geographical variance,typically displaying high levels in the east and low levels in the west.Urban-rural integration is significantly encouraged by the digital economy,yet it varies in variability between different areas and dimensions.Addi‐tionally,rural human capital moderates the favorable effects of the digital economy on urban-rural integra‐tion.As a result,in order to achieve the integrated development of urban and rural areas,it is imperative to fully exploit the active role of the digital economy,better support the development of rural revitalization,bridge the“digital divide”between urban and rural development,and build a strong foundation for the for‐mation of a digital urban-rural integrated development pattern with urban and rural areas and common con‐struction and sharing.

Analysis of Landscape Patterns in the Urban-Rural Integrated Area Based on Moving Window: A Case Study of Sanshui District in Foshan City

The urban-rural integrated area in Sanshui District of Foshan City was selected for research, and the impact of landscape pattern around the No.269 provincial highway was analyzed based on the land-use data in 2014 using the spatial analysis in GIS and the moving window method. The results showed that:(1) within the scope of a 2 km-range buffer zone, with a low degree of heterogeneity, land for construction use and water area were the dominant land-use types, while with a high degree of fragmentation, cultivated land, wooded land, grassland, garden land, land for other farm uses, and land unused were scattered;(2) the 250-m square moving window could well detect the change characteristics of landscape pattern on both sides of the road;(3) the gradient analysis of landscape pattern in urban-rural integrated area, which was conducted with the aid of a 750-m transect on both sides of the road, indicated that there were significant differences between landscape indexes both in the urban-rural integrated area and on both sides of the road;(4) the road that had an obvious cutting and fragmentation impact on the landscape was an important factor leading to the increasing fragmentation and heterogeneity to regional landscapes.

Integrated Climate Change Risk Governance in China under the Background of Global Climate Governance

Climate change in the past one hundred years has brought important influence to the natural ecosystem and social-economic system of the world and China.The impact of future climate change is also long-term and huge,and many effects are negative or adverse.Therefore,from now on we must take measures adapting to climate change to overcome the adverse effects of climate change on social-economic-ecological system.In this paper,starting from the urgency of integrated climate change risk governance,the risk of natural disasters intensifying caused by climate change is briefly described,and engineering and non engineering measures of the integrated climate change risk governance in China's high risk region are proposed,as well as recommendations on integrated risk governance in the eastern,middle and western China.

Validating Governance Performance Indicators for Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management in the Southeast Region of Cuba

The importance of evaluating the success of policies developed to effectively manage coastal and marine resource use is well documented. However, few frameworks exist that allow for a comparative examination of existing policy instruments, as opposed to specific initiatives, which assess governance performance aimed at addressing issues arising in the coastal zone. This paper describes the process and findings for evaluating the feasibility of a modified Coastal Sustainability Standard (CoSS) framework that seeks to measure the effectiveness of individual planning instruments within overlapping spatial boundaries in the landward and marine areas in the southeast region of Cuba. Through workshops conducted in Santiago de Cuba and Guamá municipalities with key representatives involved in coastal management and planning, the utility of the framework was assessed using the main instruments of territorial planning in Cuba, namely integrated river basin management, territorial planning in coastal municipalities and marine and coastal management. While, the findings suggest that the modified CoSS framework can be used to assess the effectiveness of these planning instruments in the region, and workshop participants also suggested improvements to better match its use to the characteristics of the study region.

The Local Process of Governance in Integrated Water Resource Management： An Example of the Wadi El K^bir Watershed （Northeast of Algeria）

Alternatives to the sectoral and public policies and regulations of environmental and water resources＇ protection, and the experiments of integrated management have been rapidly multiplied since the year 1990. Water constitutes a principal stake of these environmental policies in the majority of the countries and especially in the countries of North Africa as Algeria, where this resource is threatened by repeated dryness and by the impact of the climate change. The integrated water resource management reflects today the world tendency of the governments to exploit and preserve this resource by a way based on a process of governance, which passes by the dialog of diversified actors （various sectors）. According to this policy and to the promulgation of the Algerian National Report on State effective implementation and coordination mechanisms are required. How this principle of integrated water management will be executed with various scenarios in Algeria and what are the main difficulties that can be met？ Or, more exactly, what are the variables that can influence the operation of the local water process governorship？ This analysis will be carried out through the example of the Wadi El K6bir watershed located in the northeast of Algeria, which is real natural area of water supply that feeds the communities, the natural and artificial basins, and preserves the perenniality of the existing natural ecosystems especially the one of the natural park classified by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization （U.N.E.S.C.O） in 1989 as the inheritance of humanity and six other sites classified according to the Ramsar convention as wetlands of international importance to be preserved.

Development of Sustainable Urban-Rural Integration:Dongtan Case Study

The environmental impact issues,such as global warming and expansion of the urban zone,seem more serious and have become the biggest defining challenges of the 21st century.Climate change can lead to water shortages,desertification,land degradation,air pollution,rising sea levels,accelerated deforestation,and exacerbated economic pressures.Global urban growth greatly impacts changes in sociability,humanity,and the environment of the Earth.The human presence,especially in cities,seriously affects resource use and waste disposal,and they are consuming natural resources faster than the planet can sustain during urbanization,changing how people live.China,with a population of 1.3 billion,has seen tens of millions of people living in the countryside migrate to cities,especially megacities,since the 1980s.As a result of its decision to industrialize and urbanize to boost the economy,China has become the world’s second-largest consumer of energy.In recent years,China’s government has quickly recognized the lessons of“limits to growth”and has taken action by initiating the construction process in Dongtan,Shanghai,China.They are making efforts to build urban-rural integration communities to promote sustainable development.Based on a literature review focusing on Dongtan,research questions are raised according to the research objective:(1)What are the challenges of sustainable development in urban-rural integration?(2)What practices has Dongtan implemented for sustainable development,or how is sustainable development being applied to Dongtan?(3)What are the social,political,environmental,and economic concerns regarding the sustainable development of Dongtan?The sustainable urban-rural integration concerns the ecological,economic,environmental,and psychological aspects of urban-rural integration design and management.The overall objective is to promote sustainable development in economic,social,ecological,and spatial dimensions.It will be a liveable,complete community that makes economic,environmental,and social sense locally while also contributing to national and global sustainable development.It will serve as a compelling model for how to build sustainable urban-rural integration worldwide.

破与立:协同治理机制的整合与重构——评Collaborative Governance Regimes

协同治理日益成为激变时代解决公共问题的治道选择,并引起学术界的强烈关注。然而,已有研究却呈现碎片化、拼凑化的特点,如何进行理论整合并重构分析框架成为当前的理论诉求。柯克·爱默生和蒂娜·娜芭齐基于文献分析与经验研究,从治理环境和棘手问题两个方面讨论协同治理的生成机理,重新定义协同治理的内涵,整合协同治理的知识谱系,并构建了协同治理机制的综合性分析框架。她们的研究无疑成为相关领域的重要参考。当然,该项研究仍然具有值得拓展的空间,本文最后一部分对此进行探讨。