Search Results (160)

Childhood overweight and obesity is a growing public health challenge in Indonesia, affecting approximately one in five school-aged children. Because children spend substantial time at school and frequently obtain meals and snacks from on-site canteens, these settings represent an important opportunity for nutrition-focused interventions. As an initial step towards understanding factors influencing canteen stocking decisions, we assessed perceived taste, acceptability, and feasibility of healthier local foods and beverages from the perspectives of canteen owners and school administrators (n = 10) across five primary schools (n = 2 urban, n = 3 rural) in Magelang, Indonesia. Participants completed in-person taste tests of selected food and beverage options and participated in in-depth interviews exploring drivers of stocking decisions. IndoMilk (multi-cereal, reduced-sugar dairy beverage) received the most favorable taste ratings and was perceived as the most feasible option to sell, followed by sate telur puyuh (braised quail eggs) and sate buah (fresh fruit skewers). In contrast, gethuk (cassava/coconut cake) and polo pendem (steamed tubers with boiled peanuts) were viewed as less appealing to children and unlikely to be sold. Participants identified children’s taste preferences, affordability, visual appeal, and profitability as key considerations influencing stocking decisions, while perceptions of nutrition varied. Findings from this pilot study highlight contextual factors shaping school canteen food environments and may inform future interventions aimed at introducing healthier options while accounting for children’s preferences and canteen operational constraints. Full article

This paper investigates land-use as the cornerstone of spatial planning in rapidly urbanising contexts, focusing on the critical gaps at the mesoscale between centralised vision and local implementation. By exploring Java’s complex desakota landscapes, this study employs an innovative GIS-based land-use cluster analysis using multidimensional parameters—including slope, population density, agricultural land, forest cover, and surface water—to categorise land-use patterns. The resulting mesoscale clusters reveal cohesive functional territories that transcend traditional political boundaries, articulating distinctive ‘mixtures’ of urbanity within Java’s rural-urban continuum. This approach not only captures socio-environmental dynamics across administrative silos but also establishes a new strategic framework for regional planning challenges. By advancing boundary-making beyond mere political convention to reflect on-the-ground ecological and functional coherence, this framework responds to the urgent global challenge of reconciling accelerating suburban and regional development pressures with the preservation of local communities, agricultural systems, and natural landscapes. Full article

A systematic spatial resilience analysis of population flow networks in underdeveloped mountain towns is essential for sustainable urban–rural integration. Using mobile signaling data from March 2023, this study constructs a population flow network across 69 towns in the Yimeng Mountainous Region. This study proposes a novel targeted-attack framework based on centrality and assesses structural resilience along the three dimensions of efficiency, transitivity, and connectedness. Population flows exhibit a twin-core north–south structure, characterized by a hub-and-spoke system in the south and a self-stabilizing triangular configuration in the north. The network demonstrates strong spatial agglomeration and heterogeneity, with modular clustering revealing four functional modules shaped by administrative boundaries. It exhibits small-world properties, attributed to high transmission efficiency and strong local clustering. The network shows robust resilience to disruptions. Targeted attacks based on betweenness centrality significantly compromise structural resilience; efficiency, transmission, and connectivity change linearly at low attack intensities but decline sharply at higher levels. Full article

Anti-Poverty Programmes (APPs) are closely linked to rural livelihoods, yet comparative evidence on how participants and non-participants differ in livelihood-capital composition and income-generation patterns remains limited in ecologically fragile pastoral regions. This study draws on a cross-sectional household survey conducted in Northern Tibet in July 2020, covering 696 households—including 225 APP participants and 471 non-participants. Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework and the entropy weight method, we construct multidimensional livelihood-capital indices (human, social, natural, physical, and financial capital) and compare the two groups. We further apply Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions to examine factors associated with per capita net income. The results reveal substantial heterogeneity in livelihood capital and income across both groups. APP participants exhibit higher human-capital scores, largely driven by a higher share of skills training, whereas they show disadvantages in physical and financial capital relative to non-participants. Natural capital shows no statistically significant difference between the two groups under the local grassland contracting regime. Significant differences are observed and identified in certain dimensions of social capital. Regression results suggest that income is positively associated with skills training, contracted grassland endowment, and fixed assets, with skills training showing the strongest association. For participants, herd size and labour capacity are not statistically significant correlates of income; for non-participants, larger herds and greater labour capacity are associated with lower income. Taken together, the findings indicate that APP participation is associated with stronger capability-related capital (notably training) alongside persistent constraints in productive assets and financial capacity. Policy implications include improving the relevance and quality of training, strengthening cooperative governance and market linkages, and designing complementary packages that connect skills, inclusive finance, and productive asset accumulation. Given the cross-sectional design and administratively targeted certification of programme participation, the results should be interpreted as context-specific associations rather than strict causal effects. Full article

Taking the “Broadband China” policy (BCP) as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper utilizes nationwide tracking data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) for 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018 and employs a Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to evaluate whether and how urban information infrastructure development affects resident health. We identify a clear and significant improvement in health outcomes attributable to BCP. After the implementation of BCP, physical health and mental health increase by 2.5% and 1.7%, respectively. Furthermore, mechanism analysis confirms that BCP enhances resident health primarily by improving information and communication technology (ICT) levels and by promoting local economic development. The positive health effect of BCP is more pronounced in regions with a better medical environment, suggesting the presence of complementary public-service capacity. At the individual level, heterogeneity tests reveal that BCP exerts a stronger positive influence on the physical health of male and rural respondents, while the benefits for older respondents are relatively smaller. At the city level, the health-promoting effect of BCP is stronger in economically less developed regions, and cities with higher administrative status exhibit more substantial health improvements. Full article

The purpose of this study is to clarify the impact of government embedment on villagers’ willingness to engage in mutual supervision of rural residential land utilization. It also examines the role of local elders’ involvement in this process, with the goal of improving the regulatory framework for rural residential land utilization. The data used in this study are sourced from a field survey of 450 rural households in Sichuan Province, China. Data analysis was conducted using Logit, Probit, and moderation effect models, among others. The results show the following: (1) Organizational Embedment significantly enhances villagers’ willingness to participate in mutual supervision, with government-established regulatory bodies and dedicated management personnel effectively incentivizing oversight participation. (2) Due to social risks in actual supervision, Ideological Embedment fails to effectively stimulate supervisory behavior. (3) The effects of Government Embedment vary significantly across villages in different geographic locations. (4) The involvement of local elders enhances the effectiveness of Government Organizational Embedment, with their role in rural residential land governance leaning more toward practical implementation than conceptual dissemination. The findings of this study are as follows: Against the backdrop of government administrative embedment in rural residential land governance, the involvement of local elders has played a significant role in enhancing effectiveness. Efforts should continue to focus on strengthening organizational oversight of rural residential land utilization, reinforcing communication between the government and villagers, and deepening collaboration with local elders to encourage active villager participation in the supervision and management of rural residential land use. Full article

The present study provides a socio-economic characterization of an endangered turkey population in Europe for the first time, using the example of a southern Spanish population. To this end, 10 Andalusian turkey breeders were subjected to a 102-item survey, which included the following sections: personal and educational profile, the role of women in breeding, availability and conditions of facilities, welfare conditions, other equipment, maintenance and hygiene, farm access, feeding management, reproductive and replacement management, mortality, market value, and motivations for breeding. The results exhibited a wide variety in the breeder and rearing system attributes. However, the respondents agreed that rearing local breeds was a non-professionalized hobby. Farmers have generally old facilities and makeshift equipment for breeding the animals, which show strong ancestral instincts and a low requirement for breeding. The main purpose of their rearing is for self-consumption; however, there is an established sale demand for meat associated with Christmas. Breeders show a strong emotional motivation for the preservation of this ancestral population, which shares the rearing system with other endangered breeds. Three different profiles of breeders, traditional, neo-rural, and new-peasant, are responsible for maintaining the population selflessly and without administrative support. Full article

Administrative digital accessibility drives rural development, particularly in peri-urban areas where traditional governance meets the growing demands for digital services. The study examines the role of digital tools in local administrations in supporting citizen engagement and responsiveness in communes near Bucharest. A composite digital maturity index was created, utilizing indicators such as website usability, social media presence, integration with national platforms, and administrative transparency. Building on this framework, results reveal pronounced disparities. Dobroești (79 points) and Jilava (69 points) emerge as digital leaders, demonstrating advanced online services and structured communication. In contrast, communes such as Chiajna, Clinceni, and Tunari show limited digital adoption, with four out of eleven communes scoring below 50. This highlights significant inconsistencies in digital implementation. These disparities are further reflected in the findings, which indicate the absence of a coherent regional digital strategy. Each commune operates independently, without a standardized approach to digitalization, resulting in fragmented infrastructures and uneven citizen engagement. High performance in one area does not guarantee broader digital inclusion. These insights underscore the need for targeted policies that respect local priorities while promoting harmonized digital capacities across peri-urban communes, ensuring equitable access to digital public services and fostering inclusive administrative modernization. Full article

While place branding strategies are increasingly implemented in rural tourism, they are criticised for issues of exclusion and homogenisation. In response, attempts have been made to rejuvenate place branding by integrating the ideology of place-shaping. To explore the conceptual distinctions between place branding and place-shaping, and the potential for integrating these two approaches, this paper examines the process of tourism programme and beyond in a peripheral rural community in Southwest China. This case study collected qualitative data from 2016 to 2023 to describe how the village was transformed by a top-down tourism initiative and how local stakeholders subsequently shaped these changes. Our empirical investigation reveals that sustainable rural tourism development requires integrating place branding strategies with the place-shaping process. While the administrative and financial support was required to promote the place branding, the exogenous approach led to a brand alien to the place. In contrast, residents and other stakeholders have shaped a living place beyond the programme. It entails an integration where elements from the place branding and place-shaping are recruited, reinterpreted, and reconfigured to support sustainable, place-based development. Full article

Objective: Pediatric cancer, though less prevalent than adult malignancies, constitutes a significant public health concern due to its long-term effects on survival, development, and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate spatial patterns and temporal trends of pediatric cancer in Romania over a ten-year period (2008–2017), identifying persistent and emerging geographic hotspots using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)–based modelling and spatial statistics. Methods: A national pediatric cancer registry provided by the Ministry of Health was analyzed for cases among individuals aged 0–18 years, categorized by administrative-territorial units (ATUs), ICD-10 codes, sex, and year. Spatial indicators of persistence (recurrent prevalence across multiple years) and continuity (uninterrupted recurrence) were computed. Hotspot analysis was conducted using Local Moran’s I, and trend patterns were assessed through temporal modeling. Additionally, fractal and complexity metrics were applied to characterize the spatial structure and heterogeneity of cancer persistence and continuity across regions. Results: Although national pediatric cancer prevalence exhibited a modest decline from 3.57‰ in 2008 to 3.44‰ in 2017, GIS-based spatial modeling revealed stable high-risk clusters in Central and South-Eastern Romania, particularly in historically industrialized counties such as Hunedoara, Prahova, and Galați. These correspond to regions with past heavy industry and chemical pollution. Male children presented a higher frequency of malignant tumors (48,502 cases in males vs. 36,034 in females), while benign and uncertain-behavior neoplasms increased more prominently among females (from 3847 to 4116 cases, compared with 3141 to 3199 in males). Several rural localities showed unexpected prevalence spikes, potentially associated with socioeconomic deprivation, limited health literacy, and reduced access to pediatric oncology services. Regional disparities in diagnostic and reporting capacities were also evident. Conclusion: GIS-based spatial epidemiology proved effective in revealing localized, sex-specific, and persistent disparities in pediatric cancer across Romania. The integration of spatial indicators and complexity metrics into national cancer control programs could strengthen early detection, optimize resource allocation, and reduce health inequities. These findings highlight the value of combining geospatial analysis and fractal modeling to guide evidence-based public health strategies for pediatric oncology. Full article

Ethnic villages are a multidimensional interactive space between cultural inheritance and modernization; analyzing their spatial reconstruction is fundamental for promoting agricultural and rural modernization and sustainable ethnic development. This study examined ethnic villages in Yongcong Township, Liping Country, from 2016 to 2022, focusing on changes in function and suitability under relocation through a function and suitability evaluation index. Case comparisons were made between administrative villages with high functional and suitability levels and those with resettlement sites. In 2016, ethnic villages followed a growth pattern of Yongcong–Dundong–Guantuan, with low patch density, dispersed distribution, and simple shapes. By 2022, functionality and suitability significantly improved, with an increase in village patches and larger patch areas shifting toward spatial aggregation. Horizontally, land use within reconstruction boundaries diversified by function, whereas vertically, housing structures were reorganized: non-settlement villages retained traditional and modern types while settlement villages combined both, leading to a shift from functional singularity to multifunctionality. Relocation-induced reconstruction may lag local knowledge systems and reduce well-being. Initially, government-led suitability enhancement dominates; gradually, villages increasingly internalize regional identity and competitiveness. By analyzing post-relocation village reconstruction, this study supports the integration of ethnic and regional dynamics, achieving high-quality sustainable development in minority regions. Full article

New York State’s Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) were created to support sustainable, equitable, community-driven growth by distributing state funding across diverse regions. While allocations are geographically widespread, our research suggests that structural features of the REDC model may unintentionally reinforce disparities in local capacity and limit long-term impact, particularly in rural and under-resourced communities. This paper asks: To what extent does the REDC model reinforce or reduce disparities in economic development funding? Using qualitative system dynamics, specifically causal loop diagramming, and drawing on public data of RECD funding, interviews with municipal leaders, and public administration theory we examine systemic patterns that shape which municipalities repeatedly secure funding, and which remain excluded, identifying reinforcing and balancing processes that explain such systemic patterns. Key feedback structures include: the Capacity-Investment Loop, where high-capacity communities grow increasingly competitive over time; the Need-Funding Mismatch Loop, where administrative burdens block access for distressed communities; and the Collaboration Loop, which shows how competition can disincentivize shared regional strategies. These loops highlight how program structure—not just intent—shapes outcomes. Our findings suggest that, while the REDC model is intended to promote fairness and efficiency, it risks reproducing the disparities it seeks to address. Adjustments that strengthen regional collaboration, support capacity-building, and align funding with community need may help advance more inclusive and sustainable economic development. Full article

With the rapid development of e-commerce, Taobao Villages have emerged as a representative form of rural e-commerce in China, exerting a profound influence on rural economic transformation and urban–rural integration. However, their spatiotemporal distribution is uneven and exhibits a complex interaction with urbanization. Drawing on data from 178 cities between 2017 and 2022, this study employs the Spatial Autoregressive Model (SAR), Spatial Error Model (SEM), and Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to examine both the direct and spillover effects of urbanization on Taobao Villages. The results indicate that Taobao Villages display significant spatial clustering across China. While urbanization exerts a positive short-term effect on the number of local Taobao Villages, this effect weakens in the long term and under spatial interaction, and higher levels of urbanization in one region impose significant negative spillover effects on neighboring areas. These findings highlight the dual nature of urbanization in simultaneously promoting and constraining rural e-commerce development. Accordingly, policy efforts should focus on rational administrative spatial adjustment and boundary reorganization, optimizing the urban–rural spatial structure, supporting the development of peripheral and disadvantaged regions, enhancing the balanced and efficient flow of factors across regions, and fostering differentiated development pathways to strengthen the resilience of Taobao Villages and promote healthy and sustainable urban–rural integration. Full article

High-resolution CO₂ fossil fuel emission data are critical for developing targeted mitigation policies. As a key approach for estimating spatial distributions of CO₂ emissions, top–down methods typically rely upon spatial proxies to disaggregate administrative-level emission to finer spatial scales. However, conventional linear regression models may fail to capture complex non-linear relationships between proxies and emissions. Furthermore, methods relying on nighttime light data are mostly inadequate in representing emissions for both industrial and rural zones. To address these limitations, this study developed a multiple proxy framework integrating nighttime light, points of interest (POIs), population, road networks, and impervious surface area data. Seven machine learning algorithms—Extra-Trees, Random Forest, XGBoost, CatBoost, Gradient Boosting Decision Trees, LightGBM, and Support Vector Regression—were comprehensively incorporated to estimate high-resolution CO₂ fossil fuel emissions. Comprehensive evaluation revealed that the multiple proxy Extra-Trees model significantly outperformed the single-proxy nighttime light linear regression model at the county scale, achieving R² = 0.96 (RMSE = 0.52 MtCO₂) in cross-validation and R² = 0.92 (RMSE = 0.54 MtCO₂) on the independent test set. Feature importance analysis identified brightness of nighttime light (40.70%) and heavy industrial density (21.11%) as the most critical spatial proxies. The proposed approach also showed strong spatial consistency with the Multi-resolution Emission Inventory for China, exhibiting correlation coefficients of 0.82–0.84. This study demonstrates that integrating local multiple proxy data with machine learning corrects spatial biases inherent in traditional top–down approaches, establishing a transferable framework for high-resolution emissions mapping. Full article

County-level administrative areas serve as fundamental components in China’s territorial spatial governance, and the precision and consistency of their carbon emission reduction policies are directly linked to the efficacy of the “dual-carbon” strategy’s execution. However, the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics, future trends, and driving factors of carbon emissions from territorial spatial function (TSF) utilisation at the county level remain unclear, posing a fundamental theoretical issue that local governments urgently need to address when formulating carbon reduction policies. This study developed a framework to simulate the spatial distribution of carbon emissions resulting from land use at the county level. It simulated the carbon emissions in Qionglai City from 2009 to 2023, analysed the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics and future trends using global Moran’s I, the Getis-Ord $G_i^{*}$ index, and the Hurst index, and employed the Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model for analysis. The findings indicated the following: (1) From 2009 to 2023, the city’s total carbon emissions increased from 852,300 tonnes to 1,422,500 tonnes, showing a significant phased trend. Among these, rural production spaces (RPSs) were the primary carbon sources, accounting for over 70% of annual carbon emissions each year. (2) County carbon emissions exhibit a pronounced positive geographical correlation and aggregation distribution, characterised by notable regional heterogeneity. (3) From 2009 to 2023, the city’s regional carbon emissions rose dramatically by 65.69%, while 29.66% of the areas experienced negligible increases; 99% of the regions are projected to maintain the historical growth trend, but this continuity exhibits spatial and temporal variations. (4) Economic growth, industrial structure, and development intensity are the core driving factors of carbon emissions at the county level, with spatial variations in their impact. The research findings not only provide a basis for Qionglai City, China, to formulate precise and sustainable carbon reduction policies (such as developing differentiated carbon emission control measures based on the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of carbon emissions and their driving factors), but also offer insights for similar regions worldwide in controlling carbon emissions and addressing global climate change (for example, by optimizing land spatial function utilisation, reducing carbon sources, and maximizing carbon sink capacity). Full article