Search Results (42)

Amid China’s national strategic prioritization of the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle and accelerated territorial spatial planning, this study deciphered the synergistic evolution of Land Use Intensity (LUI) and Balance Degree of Land Use Structure (BDLUS) during rapid urbanization. Leveraging 1 km grid units and integrating emerging spatiotemporal hotspot analysis, BFAST, and geographic detectors, we systematically analyzed spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of LUI, BDLUS, and their Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD) from 2000 to 2022. Key findings: (1) LUI strongly correlated with economic growth, with core areas reaching high-intensity development (average > 2.96) versus ecologically constrained marginal zones (<2.42), marked by abrupt changes during 2011–2014; (2) BDLUS improvements covered 82.22% of the study area, driven by the Yangtze River Economic Belt strategy (21.96% hotspot concentration), yet structural imbalance persisted in transitional zones (18.81% cold spots); (3) CCD exhibited center-edge dichotomy, contrasting high-value cores (CCD > 0.68) with ecologically sensitive edges (9.80% cold spots), peaking in regulatory shifts around 2010; (4) terrain constraints and intensified human activities (the interaction effect between nighttime lighting and population density increased by 219.49% after 2020) jointly governed coupling mechanisms, with urbanization and industrial transition becoming dominant drivers. This research advances an “intensity–structure–coordination” framework and elucidates “dual-core resonance” dynamics, offering theoretical foundations for spatial optimization and ecological civilization. Full article

With the development of urban scale and economic growth, the challenges posed by limited resources and insufficient environmental carrying capacity become increasingly severe, making the sustainable improvement of production efficiency an urgent requirement. Based on panel data for cities in the Dianzhong Urban Agglomeration and the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle in Southwest China (2012–2021), this study elucidates the positive effect of urban compactness on green total factor productivity (GTFP). By constructing a composite index to measure urban compactness and employing an SBM model to quantify GTFP, we find that a 1% increase in urban compactness leads to a 0.65% increase in GTFP. A mediating-effect analysis reveals that green technological innovation serves as a significant mediator, with a mediating effect value of 0.363. Heterogeneity analysis uncovers differing mechanisms of influence: urban compactness exerts a positive effect in regions with higher levels of economic development, while its impact is not significant in regions with lower economic development, indicating that the effect of compactness varies with economic context; the impact of urban compactness on GTFP is statistically insignificant in regions with higher tertiary sector shares (p > 0.1), whereas it exhibits a highly significant positive effect in regions with lower tertiary sector presence (β = 1.49, p < 0.01). These results collectively demonstrate that the influence of urban compactness on GTFP varies significantly with industrial structure composition. Threshold-effect analysis further shows that there is a threshold in the proportion of industrial output value, beyond which the influence of compactness on GTFP becomes even stronger. Our research quantitatively explores both linear and nonlinear relationships between urban compactness and GTFP, clarifying the linkage between urban spatial dynamics and green production efficiency, and provides empirical evidence and scholarly support for urban planning and economic development. Full article

Rapid urbanization worldwide has led to ecological challenges, undermining eco-environmental resilience (EER). Understanding the coupling coordination between new-type urbanization (NTU) and EER is critical for achieving sustainable urban development. This study investigates the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle using the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model to evaluate NTU-EER coordination levels and their spatiotemporal evolution. A random forest (RF) model, interpreted with Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and Partial Dependence Plot (PDP) algorithms, explores nonlinear driving mechanisms, while Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) assesses drivers’ spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The results reveal the following: (1) NTU and EER levels steadily improved from 2004 to 2022, although coordination between cities still requires enhancement; (2) CCD exhibited a temporal pattern of “progressive escalation and continuous optimization,” and a spatial pattern of “dual-core leadership and regional diffusion,” with most cities shifting from NTU-lagged to synchronized development; (3) environmental regulations (MAR) and fixed asset investment (FIX) emerged as the most influential CCD drivers, and significant nonlinear interactions were observed, particularly those involving population size (HUM); (4) CCD drivers exhibited complex spatiotemporal heterogeneity, characterized by “stage dominance—marginal variation—spatial mismatch.” These findings enrich existing research and offer policy insights to enhance coordinated development in the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle. Full article

In the context of global “dual carbon” objectives, land use dynamics exhibit a strong correlation with regional carbon storage. Facing significant ecological–economic conflicts, the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle in western China necessitates multi-scenario modeling of carbon storage. This research integrates the PLUS model (simulation accuracy Kappa = 0.84) and InVEST model to project land use and carbon storage trajectories under natural development (NDS), urban development (UDS), carbon peak (CPS), and carbon neutrality (CNS) scenarios from 2030 to 2060, leveraging historical data from 2000 to 2020. The results show the following: (1) The study area is dominated by forest land and cultivated land (accounting for more than 90%). From 2000 to 2020, cultivated land decreased, and construction land increased; construction land continued to expand under all future scenarios. (2) Carbon storage showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, reaching 4974.55 × 10⁶ t in 2020 (an increase of 4.0 × 10⁶ t compared with 2000). The peak carbon storage in the CPS scenario reached 5015.18 × 10⁶ t, and the overall spatial pattern was “high around and low in the middle”. (3) The CPS achieved a carbon peak through intensive land use and ecological restoration, and the CNS further strengthened carbon sink protection and promoted carbon neutrality. Constructing a multi-scenario coupling model chain provides a new method for regional carbon management, which has important guiding significance for the low-carbon development of the Chengdu–Chongqing Twin Cities Economic Circle. Full article

The system subject, resilience capacity, and factor endowment are the core elements of resilient city construction. A rational assessment of urban resilience is crucial for transforming the urban governance paradigm. This study develops an analytical framework for resilient city system (RCS) grounded in the conceptual connotation and constituent elements of urban resilience. Using the strategically significant Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle (CCEC) as a case study, an urban resilience (UR) index system was proposed, encompassing economics, society, ecology, infrastructure, and organizational management. A panel dataset of urban resilience indicators was compiled using official data from national and local urban statistical yearbooks spanning 2012 to 2022. By analyzing the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of the CCEC, this study revealed the dominant factors influencing these patterns and dynamically simulated the urban resilience of the CCEC over the next 16 years. The findings indicate the following: (1) During 2012–2022, the urban resilience of the CCEC transitioned from a “single-core” model centered on Chongqing to a “dual-core” model featuring both Chongqing and Chengdu. The overall level of urban resilience in the study area exhibited an upward trend, characterized by a spatially divergent pattern with two prominent wings and a concave center. (2) Economic factors, social factors, and facility factors were identified as the dominant factors affecting urban resilience in the CCEC. (3) Projections for 2025–2035 suggest that the urban resilience level of the CCEC will continue to increase steadily at a moderate pace. These results provide valuable theoretical references for advancing the high-quality development of the CCEC and fostering a development pattern characterized by “two-wing drive and whole-area synergy”. Full article

The increasing tensions between urban development and ecological environments in China, as evidenced by the country’s rapidly globalising and urbanising society, pose significant challenges to the implementation of sustainable development strategies. In order to evaluate the coupled coordination degree (CCD) between regional development (RD) and ecological carrying capacity (ECC) within the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin Cities Economic Circle, this study proposes a comprehensive CCD evaluation framework. This framework includes indicator analysis, quantitative measurement of coupling coordination, identification of coupling types, and evaluation of coordination impacts. The results indicate that regional development is on a growth trajectory while ecological carrying capacity lags behind. The coupling coordination has shifted from a state of ’basically uncoordinated’ to ’basically coordinated’, exhibiting a decreasing gradient in spatial distribution, with core cities demonstrating leadership. The study thus provides a set of optimised strategies tailored to cities at different stages of development, offering a theoretical foundation and decision-making framework for promoting quality development within the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin Cities Economic Circle. Full article

In recent years, there appears to be a notable transition towards preserving heritage on a regional scale, aiming to promote the authenticity and integrity of traditional settlements. The complex natural topography of these settlements, along with their spread-out arrangement, poses significant challenges to their protection and preservation. With the acceleration of urbanization and the implementation of the national strategy of building a twin-city economic circle in the Chengdu–Chongqing region, economic, cultural, and ecological exchanges between the twin cities have become the key dimensions of their construction. In this context, the concept of the BaShu Cultural Tourism Corridor has emerged, and the traditional settlement sites in the study area have become an important node of urban–rural integration and the BaShu Cultural Tourism Corridor. The primary objective of this study is to establish a heritage corridor protection network for traditional settlements along the Chengdu–Chongqing Ancient Post Road within the Sichuan Basin of China as an example, using the minimum cost resistance model. This approach comprises several key steps: selecting traditional settlements, analyzing their distribution traits, calculating the resistance value for the spread of traditional settlement culture, identifying potential cultural corridors, identifying cultural spaces, and, thus, constructing a protection network. The results show that the spatial distribution of traditional settlements in the study area shows obvious clustering characteristics, the core ecological space in this study is located in the mountains in the north and the southwest, and the cultural spaces are located along the central and southwestern sections, creating a linear distribution pattern. In the ecological culture corridor network, the Premier Corridor is the most extensive of the three categories, connects important cultural area, and serves as a vital conduit for developing heritage tourism strategies. This research aims to bolster the comprehensive protection and application of the region’s traditional cultural heritage, fostering the integration of urban and rural zones and enhancing regional cultural tourism. Future research directions are to integrate the conservation of traditional settlements and the surrounding environment at different planning scales with local policies and to expand the role of digital technology in the data management and visualization of ecocultural corridors. Full article

Climate and land-use change are key factors of vegetation dynamics, and impacts arising from both of them need to be further studied. This study simulated the fraction of vegetation coverage in 2050 through coupling the Patch-Generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model and the Dimidiate Pixel model and explored the effects of climate and land-use change on fraction vegetation coverage in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle region. The findings indicated that: (1) fraction vegetation coverage was mainly restored over the 2000–2020 period, accounting for 59.38% of the investigation area. Under the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios, fraction vegetation coverage increased by 40.57% and 46.38%, respectively. (2) under the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios, the superposition effect of climate and land use change on fraction vegetation coverage significantly outweighed the compensation effect. Specifically, the superposition effect of climate and land use change on fraction vegetation cover accounted for 90.69% and 90.57% of the total area, respectively. Conversely, the compensation effect constituted a relatively minor proportion, representing 9.31% and 9.43% of the total area, respectively. (3) the positive superposition effect of climate changes and land use on fraction vegetation coverage was 35.47% and 40.90%, respectively, while the negative superposition effect was 55.22% and 49.67%, respectively. These findings aimed to offer guidance for the execution of vegetation restoration initiatives in the upstream region. Full article

A deep understanding of the spatiotemporal changes in ecosystem services (ESs) under the influence of urbanisation, as well as clarifying the trade-offs and synergies between different services and their driving factors, is crucial for sustainable regional development and the formulation of rational urban expansion policies. Dramatic changes in landscape patterns, driven by the interplay of human activities and natural processes, can have profound effects on regional ESs. Existing research primarily discusses the synergistic trade-offs between ESs, with less focus on the interactions among different landscape patterns and the synergies among ESs. In the present study, we established a multi-model fusion method for ES analysis (PLUS-InVEST-Trade-offs/Synergies-Geographical Detectors (GDs)) to explore the synergistic trade-offs of ESs and their driving factors in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle from an urban agglomeration perspective. Our findings indicated the following. (1) The distribution of synergistic/trade-offs relationships among ESs exhibited spatial variability. The varying responses of different urban clusters to these policies, along with their unique topography and landforms, are the reasons behind the differences in the synergistic/trade-offs relationships of ESs among these urban clusters. (2) In the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the driving factors of the synergistic/trade-offs effects among ESs displayed spatial differentiation. In a certain range, the degree of landscape agglomeration interacts with the degree of landscape fragmentation to promote synergistic/trade-offs effects of ESs. Our findings will provide a new analytical perspective for policymakers in the region and serve as a valuable reference for formulating targeted policies in different sub-regions. Full article

In the rapid process of urbanization, revealing the patterns and driving forces behind the evolution of blue–green spaces holds significant value for optimizing urban blue–green environments. This study systematically investigates the spatial–temporal evolution characteristics and driving forces of blue–green space in the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle from 1990 to 2020, utilizing GIS technology, landscape pattern analysis, and geographic detectors. The research findings indicate the following: (1) The area of blue–green space in the study area exhibits a general trend of initial growth followed by decline, with significant changes occurring between 2010 and 2020. (2) The fragmentation degree of blue–green space is gradually increasing, while connectivity among landscapes is decreasing; however, there has been an increase in landscape distribution uniformity. More than 90% of blue–green spaces expanded mainly through adjacency patterns. (3) In examining driving forces, it was found that temperature, topographic relief, elevation, population density, and construction intensity are the primary driving factors. Notably, the influence of natural factors has diminished over time while human social factors have significantly intensified. This study offers solutions for optimizing the configuration of blue–green spaces within the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle. It also serves as a reference case for promoting high-quality urbanization in developing countries undergoing rapid urbanization. Full article

Due to growing public concern over environmental preservation and the growing development of Internet information communication platforms, media coverage of corporate environmental issues can exert certain environmental public opinion pressure (EPOP) on enterprises and influence their behaviors. However, the current study of EPOP on the influence mechanism of corporate green innovation (CGI) has not yet formed a systematic and comprehensive theoretical analysis framework. Therefore, based on legitimacy theory and stakeholder theory, this paper explores the impact mechanism and role boundary between EPOP and CGI based on the data from 328 valid questionnaires of construction enterprises of the Chengdu–Chongqing Dual City Economic Circle using hierarchical regression analysis. The findings of the research indicate that EPOP can affect construction company green innovations positively, green corporate image (GCI) plays a partial mediating effect in the relationship between EPOP on CGI; market competition (MC) negatively moderates the relationship between EPOP and CGI, in addition, MC negatively regulates the intermediary effect of GCI in the relationship between EPOP and CGI. The findings of the study serve as theoretical support and decision-making reference to promote Chinese construction enterprise’s transition to green innovation and improve environmental governance level. Full article

Industrial land is essential for supply-side structural reforms, particularly in the Chengdu–Chongqing area, Western China’s most densely populated and industrially robust region. This area, a pivotal hub linking Southwest China with South Asia and Southeast Asia, is critical for the national strategic layout and regional economic restructuring. Despite its substantial industrial foundation as an old industrial base, internal developmental stagnation has led to an irrational industrial land use structure. This paper analyzed land transaction data from the China Land Market Network (2010–2021) using methods such as kernel density estimation, the standard deviation ellipse method, and Global Moran’s I index. The analysis focuses on the spatiotemporal evolution of industrial land marketization and its driving factors in 44 cities within the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle. The findings aim to enhance the strategic implementation of national policies and regional economic optimization, suggesting intensified development efforts in key cities and promoting integrated growth in potential areas like Suining and Ziyang to foster a conducive environment for high-quality regional development. Full article

This paper focuses on the level of urban–rural integration development and its spatio–temporal evolution patterns in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle. It constructs an evaluation indicator system encompassing five dimensions: population, economy, society, ecology, and space. By comprehensively using statistical data and multi-source spatio–temporal data and employing methods such as the entropy method, ESDA, obstacle degree model, and various statistical techniques, the study measures and analyzes the level of urban–rural integration development at three time points: 2010, 2015, and 2020. The findings are as follows: (1) The overall level of urban–rural integration is low, predominantly at low to lower-middle levels, with a clear core-periphery spatial pattern where central urban areas such as Chengdu’s central seven districts and Chongqing’s central urban districts are high-value cores, whereas peripheral and central regional areas are less integrated. (2) From 2010 to 2020, there was a steady increase in integration levels, transitioning from a single-core to a more dynamic point-axis structure with emerging regional growth poles. However, this transition was accompanied by reduced inequality of urban–rural integration within each city, while disparities among central urban areas within its cities gradually increased. (3) The analysis of obstacles across dimensions indicates that spatial integration faces the most significant barriers, mainly due to geographical conditions and development constraints in southwestern mountainous counties. In contrast, barriers to economic and social integration, though initially lower, have gradually increased, highlighting imbalances between economic growth and social service provision. Overall, this study not only provides a systematic measurement and analytical framework for the integration and development of urban and rural areas in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle but also offers theoretical and empirical support for global research and practice on urban–rural integration. Additionally, it proposes targeted policy recommendations. Full article

Climate change and human activities are seriously affecting the ecological level and economic development of county-level cities. Mianzhu City is a typical county-level city located within the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle and the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The study selected primary ecological sources by analyzing high-level ecosystem service functions over time, using Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA). Ecological resistance surfaces were constructed using natural factors to address ecological risks associated with future urbanization. The construction of the ecological security pattern (ESP) followed the source–corridor–node paradigm, incorporating changes in ecosystem service risks. From 2010 to 2020, ecosystem service functions and values in Mianzhu City declined overall, with significant spatial variations. Human activities increased in ecologically fragile areas, aggravating exposure to ecological risks from climate change and urban expansion. Ecological protection and restoration zones were identified, with nature reserves in the north and the southern center as the core. In 2020, 19 ecological sources and 46 ecological corridors were identified, with a spatial distribution pattern of “more length and short resistance in the north, less length and long resistance in the south”. Additionally, 41 ecological pinch points and 16 ecological barrier points were determined. Considering the spatial distribution of the core areas of ecosystem services and lands with human-intensive activities, setting up the general idea of the ecological restoration pattern centered on forests, river corridors, and natural and artificial landscapes. The study provides new insights into constructing and optimizing the ESP, offering crucial references for the rapid urbanization of ecological restoration and development planning in urban regions. Full article

The exploration of ecological security patterns (ESPs) can help people find those areas that are in urgent need of restoration, which is an effective way to realize ecological protection. It is of utmost significance for promoting regional sustainable development to construct ESP and put forward sub-regional optimization suggestions based on the supply and demand ratio of ecosystem services (ESs). In this paper, we assessed the level of supply and demand for five ESs based on multi-source data in 2020 with the help of InVEST, ArcGIS, and IUEMS. Based on the results of supply and demand, we calculated the supply and demand ratio of ESs and extracted the ecological source areas (ESAs) on this basis. Then, we used the Linkage Mapper tool to construct the ESP based on the principle of the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and circuit theory in the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle (CCEC). Our results indicated that there were apparent spatial differences in the supply and demand of five ESs. There were 35 ESAs in the ESP network, covering an area of about 7914 km², and most of their land use types were woodland. The CCEC was interconnected by a network of 91 ecological corridors (ECs), spanning a total length of approximately 10,701 km. From the ECs, we extracted 29 ecological pinch points (EPPs) and 16 ecological barrier points (EBPs), which each accounted for about 0.3% of the planned area of the CCEC. Finally, we divided the ecological spaces into four types and put forward the corresponding optimization suggestions. Among them, the proportion of ecological restoration area was 7.7%, which was located in Chengdu City, northwest of the study area. The findings of this paper can give some theoretical guidance and serve as a reference for making decisions in the pursuit of ecological civilization in this region. Full article