Urban Science

As economic globalization and industrial restructuring advance, inter-firm interactions have become increasingly close, and the structural characteristics of urban investment networks have undergone significant changes. From an enterprise investment context, this study integrates complex network theory and resilience theory to construct a comprehensive evaluation framework for urban investment network resilience and to conduct corresponding measurements. Drawing on the investment perspectives of the listed companies, this study integrates complex network theory and resilience theory and adopts a three-stage research approach of “network construction–topological analysis–attack simulation” to construct a comprehensive evaluation framework for urban investment network resilience and to conduct corresponding measurements. First, an urban investment linkage network is constructed based on cross-regional investment data of the listed companies; second, network analysis methods are employed to measure static resilience characteristics; and finally, dynamic resilience evolution is evaluated through deliberate attack simulations. The results indicate that, during 2010–2022, the urban network structure in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region became increasingly complex, while its risk resistance capacity improved. The scope of inter-city linkages broadened across all cities, yet the pace of development exhibits pronounced spatial heterogeneity—the investment radiation range of core cities expanded from 17 to 39 cities, whereas peripheral cities witnessed relatively sluggish growth in their number of connected partners. The overall urban network exhibited a rising trend in comprehensive resilience, with the composite resilience index increasing from 0.556 to 0.706, indicating a steadily strengthened capacity to withstand and adapt to external shocks. Furthermore, the article further examines policy implications and optimization strategies for the industrial investment network of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration from a resilience perspective.

Urban environments play a fundamental role in shaping people’s everyday experiences and life satisfaction. However, understanding the relationship between urban and peri-urban environments and subjective wellbeing requires considering how residents perceive their surroundings and how these perceptions interact with social conditions. This study examines the relationships between perceived urban quality, social trust and security, and life satisfaction among residents of the municipality of Murcia, Spain, focusing on differences between Murcia city and the peri-urban settlements known as pedanías. The study adopts an individual-level perspective to examine whether the relationships identified at the urban scale replicate within a single municipality and whether their magnitude varies by territorial context. We used structural equation modelling with a sample of 1000 citizens of Murcia to test the proposed relationships and compare the two contexts. The results show positive relationships between perceived urban quality, social trust and security, and life satisfaction, with social trust and security playing a mediating role. Although the observed relationships are consistent across both contexts, their intensity varies by territory; the main difference is the stronger relationship between perceived urban quality and social trust and security in the outlying settlements. These findings highlight the importance of considering territorial heterogeneity when analysing urban wellbeing and designing context-sensitive policies.

Disaster preparedness depends not only on hazard awareness but also on how individuals relate to institutions, evaluate risk information, interpret threats, and translate those interpretations into protective action. This study develops an integrative theoretical model connecting Institutional Trust, Risk Communication and Credibility, Risk Perception, and Disaster Preparedness. The model is developed through the conceptual integration of established theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence across disaster risk, risk communication, risk perception, institutional trust, and preparedness research. A sequential theoretical pathway is proposed in which Institutional Trust influences Risk Communication and Credibility, which in turn influences Risk Perception and subsequently Disaster Preparedness. Direct pathways from Institutional Trust and Risk Communication and Credibility to Disaster Preparedness are also retained alongside the proposed indirect pathways. Age and gender are incorporated as observed sources of heterogeneity in Risk Perception, while contextual heterogeneity, the risk-perception paradox, and potential institutional substitution effects are recognized as boundary conditions. The resulting model integrates institutional, informational, cognitive, and behavioral processes within a common theoretical architecture and provides a basis for subsequent measurement development and empirical evaluation through structural equation and MIMIC modeling.