Search Results (140)

Promoting the synergistic development of green finance (GF) and green technology innovation (GTI) is crucial for achieving sustainable economic development. Based on the sample data of 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2023, this study first investigates the theoretical mechanism of interactive coupling and then employs methods including Dagum Gini coefficient, spatial kernel density estimation, spatial correlation analysis, and a GTWR model to explore the spatiotemporal pattern, evolution trend, and driving factors of the coupling coordination between GF and GTI. The findings are as follows: (1) The coupling coordination degree (CCD) is about to transition from the moderate imbalance stage to the near imbalance stage, presenting a distinct spatial pattern of “higher levels and faster development in the east, and lower levels and slower development in the west”. (2) The Gini coefficient of the CCD shows an upward trend, with the degree of imbalance increasing year by year; the main sources of the overall differences follow this order: intra-regional disparity (G_w) > inter-regional disparity (G_b) > transvariation density (G_t). (3) The CCD between GF and GTI exhibits a positive spatial correlation, and the agglomeration degree is constantly increasing; the High-High Cluster areas are mainly concentrated in northern China. (4) Economic development level, financial development level, population scale, and urbanization level drive the coupling coordination between GF and GTI. This study provides new theoretical and empirical evidence for the complex coupling relationship and driving factors of GF and GTI and offers a key scientific basis for the Chinese government to formulate differentiated regional policies, thereby promoting the effective implementation of the green and low-carbon development strategy. Full article

The shipping service industry plays a pivotal role in enhancing port competitiveness and fostering urban economic growth, yet limited studies systematically integrate its spatial temporal dynamics with the processes driving port–city synergy. This study constructs a three-dimensional analytical framework encompassing port operations, urban economic development, and shipping service industry agglomeration. Using data from 13 port cities in Jiangsu Province (2015–2023), we apply the entropy weight method, coupling coordination degree model, relative development model, and panel Tobit regression to evaluate interaction intensity, coordination patterns, and influencing factors. Results reveal a clear spatial gradient in coupling coordination, higher in southern Jiangsu and lower in the north, driven by disparities in economic foundations, port capacities, and service industry structures. In most cities, port operations and urban economies lag behind shipping service industry agglomeration, reflecting the predominance of low- and mid-end services. Port construction level, cargo and container throughput, economic development, openness, fixed asset investment, and population density significantly promote coordination, whereas R&D capacity shows no significant effect. The findings advance understanding of port–city service interlinkages and provide targeted policy recommendations for differentiated regional development, infrastructure enhancement, and upgrading toward high-end shipping services, with implications for maritime regions worldwide. Full article

Against the backdrop of China’s slowing urbanization and increasing regional disparities, existing research on the spatiotemporal evolution and multidimensional drivers of urban–rural transformation (URT) requires further elaboration, particularly regarding county-level differentiation and the dynamic interactions among these drivers. This study integrates spatiotemporal hot spot analysis with a multi-factor geographical detector model to systematically examine China’s URT from 1990 to 2023. The findings reveal the following: (1) The area of urban–rural construction land increased by 149.54% overall from 1990 to 2023, but the annual average growth rate dropped sharply to 4.32% during 2000–2023, indicating overall deceleration in spatial expansion. (2) Significant structural adjustments occurred at the county level: the proportion of counties with high spatial expansion degree decreased by 20%, while counties experiencing spatial contraction increased by 6%, suggesting that growth dynamics have become increasingly concentrated in limited counties. (3) Spatially, a clear “northern contraction and southern expansion” divergence emerged, which was primarily driven by the synergistic effects of policy reorientation, market-driven factor mobility, and differential natural endowments. (4) Expanding counties benefited from urban agglomeration plans, population influx, industrial upgrading, and favorable terrain, whereas contracting counties were constrained by rigid ecological and farmland conservation policies, population outmigration, undiversified industries, and topographical limitations. These findings provide an important premise for formulating feasible policies on differentiated spatial governance and urban–rural sustainable development. Full article

Background/Objectives: Pharmaceutical preparation technologies can enhance the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Ursolic acid (UA) has been found to possess anti-cancer and hepatoprotective properties, demonstrating its potential as a therapeutic agent; however, its hydrophobicity and low solubility present challenges in the development of drug formulations. This study investigates the preparation of a nano-UA suspension by wet grinding, researches the influence of process parameters on particle size, and explores the rules of particle breakage and agglomeration by combining model fitting. Methods: Wet grinding experiments were conducted using a laboratory-scale grinding machine. The particle size distributions (PSDs) of UA suspensions under different grinding conditions were measured using a laser particle size analyzer. A single-factor experimental design was employed to optimize operational conditions. Model parameters for a population balance model considering both breakage and agglomeration were determined by an evolutionary algorithm optimization method. By measuring the degree to which UA inhibits the colorimetric reaction between salicylic acid and hydroxyl radicals, its antioxidant capacity in scavenging hydroxyl radicals was indirectly evaluated. Results: Wet grinding process conditions for nano-UA particles were established, yielding a UA suspension with a D50 particle size of 122 nm. The scavenging rate of the final grinding product was improved to three times higher than that of the UA raw material (D50 = 14.2 μm). Conclusions: Preparing nano-UA suspensions via wet grinding technology can significantly enhance their antioxidant properties. Model regression analysis of PSD data reveals that increasing the grinding mill’s stirring speed leads to more uniform particle size distribution, indicating that grinding speed (power) is a critical factor in producing nanosuspensions. Full article

As a result of rapid urbanization, ecological and environmental problems have become increasingly severe. Sustainable regional development requires a balance between urbanization and the environment. With the intensification of economic globalization and technological innovation, the flow of various elements such as population, capital, information, and resources has gradually blurred administrative boundaries, leading to new cross-scale evolutionary characteristics in this relationship. However, existing studies have primarily been conducted at the local scale and have failed to capture the impact of cross-regional element flows on the relationship between urbanization and the environment. Under the metacoupling framework, this study improves the existing methodological framework by integrating the flows of production factors and ecosystem service (ES) to characterize the metacoupling between urbanization and the environment in the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration (CCUA). A new comprehensive index system for urbanization and environment was constructed, considering the cross-regional flow of multiple factors. The Coupling Coordination Degree model was employed to calculate the degree of intracoupling, pericoupling, and telecoupling between urbanization and the environment. The Geodetector model was used to determine the effects of local, adjacent, and distant flows of production and ES factors on these degrees. The results show that the intracoupling between urbanization and the environment was low, while the pericoupling and telecoupling increased from local to distant scales. Production factor and ES flows were the common factors affecting the metacoupling between urbanization and the environment, but population flows and capital flows were more strongly explained at the local scale, and ES flow was more strongly explained at the adjacent and distant scales. Based on these results, a systematic understanding of the complex relationship between urbanization and environment is provided, which in turn provides a basis for decision making regarding the coordinated and sustainable development of urban and ecological management in the CCUA as well as other urban agglomerations. Full article

Although measurements of urban shrinkage in China have received much attention, most have relied on statistical yearbook data based on political–administrative city boundaries, and remote-sensing-based quantification is mainly one-dimensional. This has caused problems in incorporating rural areas and spatiotemporal inconsistencies, as well as an inadequate understanding, which has subsequently resulted in an inaccurate shrinkage identification. This study merely utilized the latest multisensory and time-series remote sensing data, including nighttime light, land use, and population grids, to quantify the spatiotemporal patterns of multidimensional shrinkage based on the county-level urban entity mapping of Yangtze River Delta urban agglomerations (YRD-UAs) from 2003 to 2023. County-level urban entities were acquired from a pioneering mapping effort that utilized city-specific commuting distance and land use maps. The results demonstrated that urban entities in 215 counties grew at a generally slowing pace. The degree of economic, population, and space shrinkage was mainly slight, and the shrinking trajectory was dominated by temporary shrinkage. Most counties experienced population shrinkage in their coastal-oriented distribution, whereas economic shrinkage affected the fewest counties, with the lowest spatial clustering occurring northward. Population shrinkage also displayed the highest spatial autocorrelation, but its agglomeration weakened against space shrinkage clustering. This study concluded that the exclusive utilization of remote sensing products to measure urban-entity-based multidimensional shrinkage reduced the uncertainty associated with rural area inclusion and resulted in satisfactory assessment accuracy. The spatiotemporal patterns of multidimensional shrinkage suggested strengthening ecological land allocation within urban entities across the entire region, implementing polycentric development strategies in the north, as well as enhancing county-level economic governance in the northwest. This study presents a spatiotemporally comparable methodology for quantifying the multidimensional shrinking of county-level urban entities at a large scale and contributes to further optimizing the developments of YRD-UAs. Full article

As China shifts from rapid to high-quality development, urban growth has exhibited allometric patterns. This study evaluated land use efficiency from the perspective of architectural space, focusing on 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration from 2010 to 2020. A land development intensity index was constructed at both the provincial and municipal levels using the entropy weight method, integrating floor area ratio, building density, and functional mix. The spatiotemporal characteristics of land development intensity and population density were analyzed, and a coordination coupling model was applied to identify mismatches between land and population. The results reveal: (1) Temporally, the imbalance of “more people, less land” in the Yangtze River Delta diminished. Spatially, leading regions exhibit a diffusion effect. Shanghai showed a decline in both population density and development intensity; Zhejiang maintained balanced development; Jiangsu experienced accelerated growth; and Anhui showed signs of catching up. (2) Although the two indicators showed a high coupling degree and strong correlation, the coordination degree remained low, indicating poor quality of correlation. The land-population relationship demonstrated a fluctuating pattern of “strengthening–weakening” over time. Shanghai exhibited the highest coordination, while more than half of the cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui still needed optimization. (3) Unlike previous findings that linked such patterns to shrinking cities, in this transformation stage, the number of cities where land development intensity exceeded population density continued to grow in advanced regions. This study first applied 3D building data at the macro scale to support differentiated spatial policies. Full article

As global urbanization accelerates amidst compounding risks, comprehensive urban resilience assessment has emerged as a pivotal issue in optimizing risk governance pathways. Grounded in the Pressure–State–Response (PSR) theoretical framework, this study constructs a multidimensional evaluation system for comprehensive urban resilience. Through the integration of a combined weighting method and the TOPSIS model, we systematically measure resilience levels across 13 prefecture-level cities in Jiangsu Province, with the obstacle degree model employed to identify critical resilience constraints. The findings reveal significant spatial heterogeneity in regional resilience patterns. High-resilience cities establish positive feedback mechanisms through economic foundations, innovation-driven strategies, and institutional coordination. Conversely, low-resilience cities face multidimensional constraints, including industrial structure imbalance, inadequate social security systems, and infrastructure deficiencies. The resilience disparity stems from the coupling effects of systemic multidimensional elements, with three core obstacles identified: energy consumption and population pressure in the Pressure dimension, medical resource scarcity and innovation deficit in the State dimension, and fiscal expenditure inefficiency in the Response dimension. The study proposes strategic interventions, including fiscal structure optimization, cross-regional resource coordination enhancement, and innovation–translation mechanism improvement, to facilitate urban systems’ transformation from passive resistance to proactive adaptation. This research provides novel perspectives for analyzing complex system resilience evolution and offers scientific grounds for urban agglomeration risk prevention and sustainable development. Full article

The strategic coordinated development of land urbanization and carbon emission systems in urban agglomerations is crucial for achieving dual carbon goals and sustainable development. While existing studies emphasize population and economic urbanization, the spatiotemporal coupling mechanisms between land urbanization (encompassing size, input, and output dimensions) and carbon emissions remain underexplored. This study collects data on land urbanization and carbon emissions from 27 cities in China’s Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration between 2010 and 2019. By establishing evaluation systems for land urbanization and energy consumption carbon emission subsystems, by and employing coupling coordination degree models with spatial autocorrelation analysis methods, this paper analyzes the spatiotemporal dynamic evolution characteristics of the coupled coordination relationship between land urbanization and energy consumption carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. The results indicate the following: (1) From 2010 to 2019, the comprehensive level of the land urbanization subsystem in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration continued to rise, with higher comprehensive indices in the southern and northern peripheral regions and lower values in central urban areas. The carbon emission subsystem showed sustained stable decline, with a gradual reduction in the number of cities maintaining low carbon emission levels. (2) Temporally, the overall coupling coordination degree of the urban agglomeration system demonstrated an upward trend, progressing from severe imbalance to the primary coordination stage. (3) Spatially, significant regional differences in coupling coordination degree were observed, showing higher values in the southeastern areas compared to the northwestern regions. (4) Most areas exhibited no significant clustering characteristics in the coupling coordination degree between land urbanization and energy consumption carbon emissions, while the local spatial clustering patterns demonstrated temporal variations. These findings systematically reveal the transition mechanisms of land–carbon coordination in urban agglomerations, providing empirical evidence to resolve the theoretical debate on urbanization’s dual role in emission promotion and reduction. Full article

Public cultural facilities are the cornerstone of the construction of the public cultural service system. Exploring the spatial pattern of public cultural service facilities is significant for clarifying regional differences in public cultural services, optimizing the allocation of urban cultural facilities, and promoting the equalization of public cultural services. This study constructs a dual-dimensional equalization evaluation system of geographical density and per capita quantity to reveal the spatial mismatch phenomenon of public cultural facilities in Xinjiang. Using methods such as the nearest neighbor index and kernel density analysis, combined with the geodetector, the distribution patterns of public cultural facilities in 14 prefectures and cities in Xinjiang are systematically analyzed. The results show that public cultural facilities in Xinjiang exhibit significant agglomeration characteristics, with museums having the most prominent spatial agglomeration degree (NNI = 0.523) and imbalance degree (S = 0.284). A spatial pattern centered on Urumqi characterized by “dense in the northwest and sparse in the southeast” has formed. There exists a spatial mismatch phenomenon between high-density and low-per capita population and low-density and high-per capita population in terms of geographical density and population distribution. Population size is the key factor in facility distribution, while cultural demand and economic level are the main factors, and fiscal capacity and education level are secondary factors, with transportation conditions being general factors. In this paper, we analyze the spatial differentiation characteristics of public cultural facilities in Xinjiang and the influencing factors in order to provide typical cases and practical references for optimizing the allocation of urban cultural facilities and promoting their equalization. Full article

This study investigates the spatiotemporal changes in land use within the urban agglomeration on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains (TNUA), aiming to identify the driving factors and provide a scientific basis for regional ecological protection, rational land use planning, and sustainable resource utilization. Using land use data, we analyzed transitions, dynamics, intensity, and gravity shifts in land use, examined driving mechanisms using geographic detectors, and simulated future land use patterns with the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model. The results indicate that between 2010 and 2020, forest, water body, and unused land areas decreased, while cropland, grassland, and construction land expanded. The rate of land use change accelerated significantly, increasing from 0.0955% during 2010–2015 to 0.3192% during 2015–2020. The comprehensive land use dynamic degree index rose from 157.8371 to 161.1008, with Shayibake District exhibiting the most rapid growth. Precipitation, temperature, economic development, and elevation were the dominant driving factors throughout the study period. Population density had the strongest influence on the expansion of water body, while slope was the most significant factor for cropland expansion. Nighttime light was the primary driver of construction land growth. Projections for 2025, 2030, and 2035 suggest a continued decline in unused land and forest areas, alongside increases in cropland, grassland, water body, and construction land. Full article

This study focuses on 67 counties in Guangdong Province, China, and investigates the spatial distribution patterns, regional differentiation characteristics, and functional zoning of rural areas based on the “Production–Living–Ecological” (PLE) functional synergy theoretical framework. Multiple quantitative methods, including the entropy method, spatial concentration degree, and functional identification, were employed. Key findings include: (1) Rural functions in Guangdong exhibit significant heterogeneous evolution. Production functions have generally weakened, showing a spatial pattern of “consolidation in the south and decline in the north”. Ecological functions demonstrate a U-shaped recovery trend, with high-value areas concentrating around the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration, indicating effective ecological protection policies. Living functions continue to decline due to population mobility and imbalanced public services. (2) Structural transformation of rural function types occurred: Weakly integrated counties decreased (2010–2019), dual function type counties (production–ecological and living–ecological) significantly increased, and ecology-dominant counties predominated, highlighting ecological polarization under policy interventions. (3) Functional evolution is driven by terrain gradients, policy regulation, and industrial relocation. The research provides empirical evidence for optimizing territorial spatial governance and coordinating urban–rural development. Recommendations include promoting dynamic PLE balance through high-standard farmland construction, ecological industrialization cultivation, and cross-regional compensation mechanisms to facilitate rural revitalization and sustainable development. Full article

Promoting the development of low-carbon renewable energy is crucial for meeting the growing energy demand, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and controlling carbon dioxide emissions. Clarifying the spatiotemporal characteristics of regional renewable energy production and its influencing factors will help optimize the spatial layout of renewable energy production and provide a solid theoretical basis for coordinating the development of all aspects of renewable energy production. Using panel data from 22 districts and counties in Ningxia from 2014 to 2021, this study employed the spatial Gini coefficient, Moran’s I index, standard deviational ellipse, and geographical detector to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution patterns and influencing factors of renewable energy production development in Ningxia. The results indicate that renewable energy production in Ningxia exhibits significant spatial agglomeration and autocorrelation. Temporally, renewable energy production shows a spatial expansion trend characterized by dynamic agglomeration patterns. The coupling degree between renewable energy generation and the spatial distribution of power production is relatively high, with notable regional disparities. Urbanization level, urban population, per capita GDP, and industrial SO₂ emissions have a positive impact on renewable energy production, while energy intensity and environmental regulation show insignificant effects. To further promote the development of renewable energy, Ningxia should strengthen power infrastructure construction at the county level, enhance the radiating and driving effects of high-value areas on surrounding cities and counties, optimize the spatial layout of power facilities based on the agglomeration trajectories of renewable energy production, integrate multiple types of renewable energy to improve overall generation efficiency and system stability, and encourage local enterprises to increase technological and economic investments in renewable energy, thereby advancing sustainable energy transition and achieving high-quality development in resource-based regions. Full article

The increasing population ageing in rural China has had a far-reaching impact on agricultural production structures. However, most of the existing studies on the impact of rural ageing on NGAP are based on a micro-farmer perspective and lack consideration under macro policies. This study analyses the impact of rural ageing on NGAP within the framework of food security strategy and examines this relationship using provincial panel data based on revealing the spatial-temporal characteristics of the two. The results show that the ageing level in rural China from 2005 to 2021 exhibited a rapidly rising trend and an unbalanced distribution pattern with decreasing spatial agglomeration, while the evolution of NGAP followed an upward and then downward trend, with an increasing degree of spatial agglomeration. Under the food security strategy, rural ageing has a significant dampening effect on NGAP, which mainly stems from the partial mediating roles of the increase in the area of farmland per labourer and agricultural-related fiscal investment. In light of the future trend of population ageing in rural China, targeted measures are needed to stabilize grain production and guarantee national food security. Full article

Intercity railways are key transportation infrastructures in the interconnection of urban agglomerations. Their stations are usually distributed based on densely populated and economically active areas, and they also play roles as regional network nodes, intra-city nodes, and functional areas. However, the academic research on the spatial development of station areas is still very limited. In particular, there is no sufficient in-depth discussion about the coordinated development mechanism of the “regional node-place” and “urban node-place” of intercity railways. Based on the case study of Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area in China (GBA), this paper provides an in-depth analysis of the regional node development level, urban node development level, station area development level, comprehensive station area development level, and coordinated development of “regional node-place” and “urban node-place” in the GBA in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2023 by constructing a node-place model, development index of regional nodes, development level index, and coupling coordination degree model. Findings: (1) From 2012 to 2023, the development of regional nodes, urban nodes, and places of the GBA intercity railway saw a significant improvement, with the proportion of high-value stations increasing by 13.3%, 7%, and 8.8%, respectively. Despite some improvement on the whole, the three still exhibited an unbalanced spatial distribution of “high in the middle-low in the periphery”; (2) The relative gap in development levels between “regional node-place” and “urban node-place” of intercity railways decreased by 0.159 and 0.168, respectively, showing an overall upward trend, but still showing an unbalanced spatial distribution of “high in the middle-low in the periphery”; (3) The development level of regional nodes and urban nodes is lower than that of areas and is dominated by the unbalance place and dependence types, while the unbalance node and balance types account for less; (4) The coordination of the “regional node-place” and “urban node-place” of intercity railways is gradually improved, and the stations with high coordination and high coordination levels accounts for an increased proportion from 4% to 7% and 8%, respectively. However, the coordination remains at a low level on the whole, with most sites still in the low-level coupling and lower-level coupling stages. Some stations in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, and Dongguan have witnessed a level leap and are showing a transition towards a medium to high level of coordinated development, with the surrounding areas moving away from low-level coupling and coordination. Full article