Search Results (135)

With the acceleration of urbanization in China, water resources have become a key factor restricting regional sustainable development. Current research primarily examines the temporal or spatial variations in the water resources ecological footprint (WREF), with limited emphasis on the integration of both spatial and temporal scales. In this study, we collected the data and information from the 2005–2022 Statistical Yearbook and Water Resources Bulletin of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA), and calculated evaluation indicators: WREF, water resources ecological carrying capacity (WRECC), water resources ecological pressure (WREP), and water resources ecological surplus and deficit (WRESD). We primarily analyzed the temporal and spatial variation in the per capita WREF and used the method of Geodetector to explore factors driving its temporal and spatial variation in the YRDUA. The results showed that: (1) From 2005 to 2022, the per capita WREF (total water, agricultural water, and industrial water) of the YRDUA generally showed fluctuating declining trends, while the per capita WREF of domestic water and ecological water showed obvious growth. (2) The per capita WREF and the per capita WRECC were in the order of Jiangsu Province > Anhui Province > Shanghai City > Zhejiang Province. The spatial distribution of the per capita WREF was similar to those of the per capita WRECC, and most areas effectively consume water resources. (3) The explanatory power of the interaction between factors was greater than that of a single factor, indicating that the spatiotemporal variation in the per capita WREF of the YRDUA was affected by the combination of multiple factors and that there were regional differences in the major factors in the case of secondary metropolitan areas. (4) The per capita WREF of YRDUA was affected by natural resources, and the impact of the ecological condition on the per capita WREF increased gradually over time. The impact factors of secondary metropolitan areas also clearly changed over time. Our results showed that the ecological situation of per capita water resources in the YRDUA is generally good, with obvious spatial and temporal differences. Full article

Research on ecosystem carbon sequestration services and ecological compensation is crucial for advancing carbon neutrality. As a public good, ecosystem carbon sequestration services inherently lead to externalities. Therefore, it is essential to consider externalities in the flow of sequestration services. However, few studies have examined intra- and inter-regional ecosystem carbon sequestration flows, making regional ecosystem carbon sequestration flows less comprehensive. Against this background, the research objectives of this paper are as follows. The flow of carbon sequestration services between Henan Province and out-of-province regions is studied. In addition, this study clarifies the beneficiary and supply areas of carbon sink services in Henan Province and the neighboring regions at the prefecture-level city scale to obtain a more systematic, comprehensive, and actual flow of carbon sequestration services for scientific and effective eco-compensation and to promote regional synergistic emission reductions. The research methodologies used in this paper are as follows. First, this study adopts a meta-coupling framework, designating Henan Province as the focal system, the Central Urban Agglomeration as the adjacent system, and eight surrounding provinces as remote systems. Regional carbon sequestration was assessed using net primary productivity (NEP), while carbon emissions were evaluated based on per capita carbon emissions and population density. A carbon balance analysis integrated carbon sequestration and emissions. Hotspot analysis identified areas of carbon sequestration service supply and associated benefits. Ecological radiation force formulas were used to quantify service flows, and compensation values were estimated considering the government’s payment capacity and willingness. A three-dimensional evaluation system—incorporating technology, talent, and fiscal capacity—was developed to propose a diversified ecological compensation scheme by comparing supply and beneficiary areas. By modeling the ecosystem carbon sequestration service flow, the main results of this paper are as follows: (1) Within Henan Province, Luoyang and Nanyang provided 521,300 tons and 515,600 tons of carbon sinks to eight cities (e.g., Jiaozuo, Zhengzhou, and Kaifeng), warranting an ecological compensation of CNY 262.817 million and CNY 263.259 million, respectively. (2) Henan exported 3.0739 million tons of carbon sinks to external provinces, corresponding to a compensation value of CNY 1756.079 million. Conversely, regions such as Changzhi, Xiangyang, and Jinzhong contributed 657,200 tons of carbon sinks to Henan, requiring a compensation of CNY 189.921 million. (3) Henan thus achieved a net ecological compensation of CNY 1566.158 million through carbon sink flows. (4) In addition to monetary compensation, beneficiary areas may also contribute through technology transfer, financial investment, and talent support. The findings support the following conclusions: (1) it is necessary to consider the externalities of ecosystem services, and (2) the meta-coupling framework enables a comprehensive assessment of carbon sequestration service flows, providing actionable insights for improving ecosystem governance in Henan Province and comparable regions. 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

Environmental comfort and air pollution are among the most important indicators for assessing the population’s quality of life in urban agglomerations. This study aims to explore long-term memory in air pollution time series by analyzing the dynamics of the Hurst exponent and evaluating the predictability index. This type of statistical pre-forecast analysis is essential for developing accurate forecasting models for such time series. The effectiveness of air quality monitoring systems largely depends on the precision of these forecasts. The Ekibastuz coal-mining center, which houses one of the largest coal-fired power stations in Kazakhstan and the world, with a capacity of about 4000 MW, was chosen as an example for the study. Data for the period from 1 March 2023 to 31 December 2024 were collected and analyzed at the Ekibastuz coal-fired power station. During the specified period, 14 indicators (67,527 observations) were collected at 10 min intervals, including mass concentrations of CO, NO, NO₂, SO₂, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀, as well as current mass consumption of CO, NO, NO₂, SO₂, dust, and NO_x. The detrended fluctuation analysis of a time series of air pollution indicators was used to calculate the Hurst exponent and identify long-term memory. Changes in the Hurst exponent in regards to dynamics were also investigated, and a predictability index was calculated to monitor emissions of pollutants in the air. Long-term memory is recorded in the structure of all the time series of air pollution indicators. Dynamic analysis of the Hurst exponent confirmed persistent time series characteristics, with an average Hurst exponent of about 0.7. Identifying the time series plots for which the Hurst exponent is falling (analysis of the indicator of dynamics), along with the predictability index, is a sign of an increase in the influence of random factors on the time series. This is a sign of changes in the dynamics of the pollutant release concentrations and may indicate possible excess emissions that need to be controlled. Calculating the dynamic changes in the Hurst exponent for the emission time series made it possible to identify two distinct clusters corresponding to periods of persistence and randomness in the operation of the coal-fired power station. The study shows that evaluating the predictability index helps fine-tune the parameters of time series forecasting models, which is crucial for developing reliable air pollution monitoring systems. The results obtained in this study allow us to conclude that the method of trended fluctuation analysis can be the basis for creating an indicator of the level of air pollution, which allows us to quickly respond to possible deviations from the established standards. Environmental services can use the results to build reliable monitoring systems for air pollution from coal combustion emissions, especially near populated areas. Full article

In advanced countries such as the USA and China, some cities are characterized by “knowledge spillover industries”, which play crucial roles in driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth. However, the excessive expansion of megacities in China has led to the overabsorption of labour from other cities. The unchecked growth of individual megacities causes metropolitan malaise and regional imbalance, further limiting the emergence of new “knowledge spillover” cities, which is detrimental to overall economic development. This study analyses China’s employment population structure to identify the critical population size required for the formation of “knowledge spillover” cities. The results show that 10 million is the unique threshold for which cities with populations above this size see a significant improvement in the prominence of “knowledge spillover” industries. Therefore, a population base of approximately 10 million is essential for these cities to thrive. This result suggests that China should pay more attention to the construction of urban agglomerations as geographic or administrative units to better distribute resources and promote balanced regional development. This approach can help foster the emergence of more “knowledge spillover” cities, thereby enhancing national innovation capacity and economic growth. Full article

Exploring the mechanism of science and technology innovation spillover effect and collaborative innovation on the high-quality development of urban agglomerations is of great practical significance for implementing the innovation-driven development strategy. Based on the panel data of prefecture-level cities from 2012 to 2020, this study uses web crawler technology to obtain cooperative invention patent data, combines the social network analysis method to construct collaborative innovation networks, constructs a high-quality development indicator system from six dimensions such as the degree of marketization and the industrial system, and adopts the spatial Durbin model to reveal the regional innovation spillover effect. The comparative study based on the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) urban agglomerations found the following: (1) There is significant spatial heterogeneity in science and technology innovation, with the YRD showing a positive spillover trend and BTH showing a significant negative spillover trend; (2) The collaborative innovation network shows differentiated characteristics, with the YRD having a higher density of the network and forming a multi-centered structure, and BTH maintaining the pattern of single-core radiation; (3) There is a horse-tracing effect in high-quality development, with the average score of YRD The average score of YRD is significantly higher than that of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and the indicators of several dimensions are better. Based on these conclusions, city clusters should further strengthen the construction of collaborative innovation networks among cities and enhance the capacity of neighboring cities to undertake innovation, to give full play to the spillover effect and driving effect of innovation on high-quality development. Full article

The Huaihe River Basin stands as a vital grain-producing base in China. Predicting the dynamic evolution of its carbon storage (CS) is of great theoretical value and practical significance for maintaining regional ecological security, guaranteeing food production capacity, and coping with climate change. This study established a multi-dimensional analysis framework of “scenario simulation–reservoir assessment–value quantification”. Using a sample of 195 cities, the PLUS-InVEST-GIS method was combined to explore the overall CS, spatial differentiation, and value changes in future scenarios. The results indicate that the following: (1) From 2000 to 2020, CS kept on declining, with cultivated land and forest land being the dominant carbon pools, accounting for over 86% of the total CS. (2) From a “city–grid–raster” perspective, the spatial pattern of high-value hot spots of CS remained stable, and the overall pattern remained unchanged under multi-scenario simulation, yet the overall carbon sink center of gravity shifted to the southwest. (3) The top five driving factors are elevation, slope, NDVI, GDP per capita, and population density, accounting for 77.2% of the total driving force. (4) The carbon sequestration capacity at the county scale continued to weaken, and the overall capacity presented the following order: 2035 Farmland protection scenario (FPS) > 2035 Natural development scenario (NDS) > 2035 Urban development scenario (UDS). The resulting carbon economic losses were USD 2.28 × 10⁸, 4.57 × 10⁸, and 6.90 × 10⁸, respectively. The research results will provide scientific land use decision-making support for the realization of the “double-carbon” goals in the Huaihe River grain-producing area. 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

The sustainable development of the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration (GPUA), which is a pivotal Belt and Road hub, is critical for achieving the UN’s 17 SDGs. Based on the ecological footprint (EF) model, this study innovatively constructs a three-dimensional framework integrating natural and human-made capital, using the Gini coefficient and spatiotemporal analysis to evaluate resource allocation fairness in the GPUA from 2005 to 2022. Key findings include the following: (1) EF and GDP grew continuously at annual rates of 11.43% and 11.87%, while ecological carrying capacity (EC) stabilized, pushing the GPUA toward its ecological threshold under the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). Moreover, the increasing Ecological Pressure Index (EPI) shows that after 2014, the GPUA has trended toward “extremely unsafe” status. (2) The ecological carrying capacity Gini coefficient (G₁, 0.1710–0.6060) fluctuated significantly, while the economic contribution Gini coefficient (G₂, 0.1039–0.3519) showed a narrow upward trend; since 2015, the comprehensive Gini (G < 0.4) indicates that the EF aligns with its EC and economic contribution. (3) The GPUA shows fair resource allocation. Tongchuan, Baoji, and Xianyang are low economic contribution and high ecological contribution; Xi’an and Yangling Demonstration Zone are high economic contribution and low ecological contribution; Weinan is low ecological contribution and low economic contribution. These findings provide critical insights for hub urban agglomerations to achieve the 17 SDGs through fair ecological resource allocation and sustainable development. Full article

Digital technology drives global industrial transformation. The synchronized development of organizational digital transformation and innovation systems is pivotal in corporate strategy and governmental governance. The dynamic interaction mechanisms among digital economy, government innovation policy, and regional innovation capacity remain insufficiently explored. This study employs panel data from 15 prefecture-level cities within the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, spanning the years 2012 to 2020, and uses the panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model to investigate the interrelationships among the digital economy, government innovation preferences (the government’s supportive attitude and policy inclination towards innovative activities in the fields of science and technology as well as economic development), and regional innovation capacity. This research emphasizes the impact of the digital economy on regional innovation capacity and the influence of government innovation preferences on regional innovation capacity. The findings indicate that both the digital economy and government innovation preferences significantly enhance technological and product innovation, with this effect being particularly pronounced in the initial stages but diminishing over time. The three dimensions of the digital economy exert varying effects on technological and product innovation. Specifically, digital application has the most substantial impact on technological innovation, whereas infrastructure has a more pronounced effect on product innovation. Overall, the influence of government innovation preferences on technological and product innovation is less significant than that of the digital economy. The intensity of government innovation preferences has a greater impact than does the structure of government innovation preferences; however, in the long term, the structure of government innovation preferences can exert a more stable and sustainable influence. This study offers policy implications for constructing an innovation ecosystem driven by the synergy between government and market forces, particularly in optimizing data governance systems and planning sustainable transformation pathways, which hold practical value. Full article

This article first selects the “Urban Statistical Yearbook” data of 264 prefecture-level cities in China from 2004 to 2018 as the raw data, and uses principal component analysis and the Wilson model to calculate the spatial information diffusion capacity of each prefecture-level city. The correlation analysis between industrial agglomeration, spatial information diffusion capacity, and urban economic resilience is verified, and this article provides reference materials for the specific application of principal component analysis and the Wilson model in urban economics. Full article

Global climate change, driven by increasing carbon emissions, poses a significant challenge to sustainable development, yet regional studies on carbon stock dynamics in rapidly urbanizing coastal areas remain limited. Utilizing the InVEST model and GIS spatial analysis methods, this research examines the spatiotemporal dynamics of carbon stock in the eastern coastal regions of Zhejiang from 2000 to 2020. The primary findings are outlined as follows: (1) Between 2000 and 2020, various land use categories experienced notable shifts, with the plow land area decreasing by 18.12%, the building site area expanding by 143.52%, the woodland area reducing by 0.08%, and the total land transfer area growing by 10.96% over the 20-year timespan. (2) Carbon stocks for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 were 55.996 × 10⁶ t, 55.550 × 10⁶ t, 55.223 × 10⁶ t, 55.399 × 10⁶ t, and 55.656 × 10⁶ t, respectively, displaying a pattern of initial decline followed by a recovery, with a net reduction of 0.34 × 10⁶ t. The shifts in carbon stock were mainly driven by conversions between land use types, with woodlands serving as the predominant carbon reservoir. (3) Global spatial correlation analysis reveals that carbon stocks across the five periods exhibit a distinct spatial convergence and clustering pattern; local spatial correlation analysis indicates that high-high agglomeration zones account for 4.48% of the study area, predominantly located in the mountainous regions of western Taizhou City, while low-low agglomeration zones range from 12.91% to 11.54% of the total study area, primarily situated in the urban centers of Jiaxing City and Ningbo City, areas characterized by dense populations and extensive building sites. This study provides a solid empirical basis for implementing China’s dual-carbon strategy, supporting the systematic assessment of existing carbon reserves and sink capacities, and promoting the expedited realization of carbon peaking and neutrality goals. Full article

This study proposes a nonlinear 0-1 mixed-integer programming model for optimizing the location of logistics distribution centers within the Hohhot–Baotou–Ordos–Ulanqab urban agglomeration, integrating transportation costs, carbon emissions, and operational coefficients. The optimization problem is solved using a genetic algorithm (GA), whose robustness is systematically validated through comparative analyses with linear programming (LP) and alternative heuristic optimization methods including simulated annealing (SA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). Comprehensive sensitivity analyses are conducted on critical parameters—including transportation costs, demand fluctuations, carbon pricing mechanisms, the logistics center capacity, land use impact, and water resource constraints—to evaluate the model’s adaptability under diverse operational scenarios. The research methodology incorporates environmental impact factors, including carbon emission costs, land resource utilization, and water resource management, thereby extending traditional optimization frameworks to address region-specific ecological sensitivity concerns. The empirical results demonstrate that the optimized location configuration significantly reduces logistics operational costs while simultaneously enhancing both the economic efficiency and environmental sustainability, thus fostering regional economic coordination. This study makes several key contributions: (1) developing an integrated decision-making framework that balances economic efficiency and environmental sustainability; (2) systematically incorporating environmental impact factors into the optimization model; (3) establishing calibration methods specifically tailored for ecologically sensitive regions; and (4) demonstrating the potential for the synergistic optimization of economic and environmental objectives through strategic logistics network planning. Full article

With the global increase in disaster risks, enhancing urban resilience has become a critical strategy for risk mitigation and sustainable development. This study develops a two-dimensional indicator framework based on urban systems and resilience capacity from the perspective of the disaster management cycle and applies an improved CRITIC-TOPSIS method to evaluate the resilience levels of the Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration, China. The spatiotemporal evolution of urban resilience from 2010 to 2022 is systematically examined. Furthermore, the dynamics of urban resilience transitions are investigated using a spatial Markov chain model, and the driving factors behind the spatial distribution of resilience are explored through the Geo-detector method. The results indicate the following: (1) Comprehensive resilience demonstrated a steady upward trend during the study period, with Chengdu and Chongqing, as core cities, driving regional resilience improvement and reducing disparities within the urban agglomeration. (2) Significant spatial heterogeneity was observed in the distribution of the comprehensive resilience index and the indices of individual resilience dimensions. (3) The Markov chain analysis revealed a distinct “club convergence” pattern in the dynamic transitions of resilience levels, with development trends closely tied to spatial factors. (4) The Geo-detector model analysis highlighted that infrastructure development and technological innovation exert long-term and substantial impacts on resilience improvement. These findings provide valuable insights for enhancing resilience and promoting sustainable development in the Chengdu–Chongqing region and other similar urban systems. Full article

This study incorporated ecological footprint (EF) consumption into a framework to assess ecological well-being. A model and implementation framework for characterizing regional net ecological well-being were then developed. Using the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration (GPUA) as a case study, land use data from 2000 to 2020 were utilized to calculate the ecosystem service value (ESV), representing the supply side of regional ecological functions. Simultaneously, the regional EF consumption was assessed as the demand side. Taking into account the level of regional economic development and the characteristics of people’s living, a regional net ecological well-being evaluation model was constructed to arrive at a deficit or surplus ecological situation. The results indicated that: (1) The overall ESV of the GPUA follows a trend of initial growth followed by a decline. Woodland, grassland, and farmland are the main contributors to the total ESV, with regulating and supporting services accounting for more than 80% of the total ecosystem value. (2) EF consumption in the GPUA shows a significant upward trend, increasing by over 70% on average. The level of ecological carrying capacity has slightly increased, with the biologically productive area that can support human activities expanding to 1909.49 million hectares. Additionally, the carrying capacity of the urban agglomeration cities has tended to stabilize since 2015. (3) Since 2010, anthropogenic consumption in the GPUA has continued to exceed the regional ecological capacity, resulting in an ecological well-being deficit. The average ecological well-being compensation per hectare in the urban agglomeration increased from 35.588 CNY to 187.110 CNY. This study offers a theoretical foundation for expanding the definition and research framework of regional ecological well-being by providing a more accurate assessment of regional ecological service supply and consumption at multiple scales. It is expected that this approach will help reduce the opportunity costs associated with ecological protection, while promoting a balanced approach to economic development and ecological preservation. Full article