Search Results (2,018)

As a driver of growth for the urban economy, the night-time economy plays an irreplaceable role in promoting the high-quality development of cities. However, research on the night-time economy within the context of cultural and tourism integration remains insufficient, particularly regarding its industrial and spatial characteristics and influencing factors. This study used a spatial analysis method to explore the spatial differentiation characteristics of the night-time economy, and Geodetector to explore the influencing factors of its spatial differentiation in the main urban area of Zunyi City. The results indicate that (1) night-time economic formats exhibit an overall central agglomeration pattern; (2) various formats generally show a spatial trend of “central concentration–peripheral dispersion”; (3) among the three administrative urban districts of Zunyi, Bozhou District and Huichuan District exhibit notably higher agglomeration levels of night-time economic activities, while Honghuagang District presents a relatively lower level of such agglomeration; and (4) economic, social, environmental, and transportation factors collectively shape the spatial heterogeneity of the night-time economy across the three districts, with GDP, residential density, and transportation accessibility standing out as the most influential determinants. The results are intended not only to facilitate the development of Zunyi City’s night-time economy and the prosperity of its tourism sector from the perspective of the integration of culture and tourism, but also to provide an empirical basis for the night-time economy development of this renowned historical and cultural city. Full article

Background/Objectives: As part of China’s efforts to build a high-quality and efficient integrated healthcare delivery system, tightly knit urban medical groups (TKUMGs) have emerged as a key model for promoting inter-institutional collaboration. While existing studies have focused on organizational outcomes, limited empirical evidence is available regarding the personal benefits experienced by healthcare professionals within TKUMGs. Methods: This study evaluated 2200 healthcare professionals’ perceived benefits from TKUMG participation in six pilot medical groups across two Chinese cities to identify factors associated with variations in career development outcomes. Results: Three distinct latent classes were identified: (1) A Limited Growth Group (32.4%), with minimal improvement across all dimensions; (2) a Skill Recognition Group (35.6%), with improvements in recognition and expertise utilization but limited gains in compensation and promotion; and (3) a Comprehensive Growth Group (32.0%), with comprehensive improvements in all six areas. Higher levels of participation and more positive attitudes toward TKUMG construction were significantly associated with inclusion in the more advanced development groups. Other significant factors included age, educational attainment, institutional role (leading vs. member), and departmental affiliation. TKUMG construction has generated heterogeneous benefits for healthcare professionals. Active engagement and institutional environments play critical roles in shaping individual development trajectories. Conclusions: Despite limitations related to this study’s cross-sectional design and self-reported data, these findings offer valuable insights for policymakers aiming to design incentive mechanisms, optimize human resource allocation, and enhance the sustainability of integrated healthcare models in urban China. Full article

An in-depth and comprehensive evaluation of carbon emission efficiency (CEE) is essential for promoting high-quality development and achieving the “dual-carbon” goals. This study applies a super-efficiency slacks-based measure (Super-SBM) model with carbon emissions treated as an undesirable output to measure provincial CEE and the Malmquist–Luenberger (ML) index across 30 provinces and major comprehensive economic zones in China from 2010 to 2023. Efficiency trends for 2024–2025 are projected using a hybrid Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA)–Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) approach. Furthermore, CEE patterns are examined at both national and regional levels, and the relationships between CEE and potential drivers are analyzed using Tobit regressions. Combining the regression outcomes with short-term forecasts, this study provides a forward-looking perspective on the evolution of CEE and its associated factors. The results indicate that (1) China’s CEE demonstrates a generally fluctuating upward trajectory, with the southern coastal and eastern coastal regions maintaining the highest efficiency levels, while other regions remain relatively lower. (2) The temporal changes in CEE across economic zones correspond to variations in technical efficiency and technological progress, with the latter contributing more prominently to overall improvement. (3) CEE shows significant associations with multiple factors: population density, economic development, technological advancement, government intervention, and environmental regulation are positively associated with efficiency, whereas urbanization tends to correlate negatively. Based on these findings, policy implications are discussed to promote differentiated pathways for enhancing CEE across China’s regions. Full article

This study aims to evaluate the operational efficiency of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and explore optimization strategies to enhance resource utilization and service performance. A systematic review approach was first applied to identify the main evaluation indicators and influencing factors from existing studies. Subsequently, a super-efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model was used to assess the efficiency of six EV charging stations in a certain City, China. The robustness analysis was carried out, and the output variables were replaced, and the evaluation results did not change. The results show substantial disparities in efficiency across stations: C1 exhibits the highest operational efficiency, while C3 performs the lowest. The inefficiencies primarily result from supply–demand mismatches and redundant capacity investment. Based on these findings, the study proposes both overall and localized optimization strategies to improve operational performance. The results provide valuable insights for urban energy infrastructure planning and contribute to the enhancement of high-quality, low-carbon transportation development in China. Full article

Introduction: The demographic shift amongst pregnant women, including older age and increasing obesity, has resulted in an increased risk of cardiometabolic complications during pregnancy, particularly gestational diabetes. This paper presents physical activity and gestational diabetes data in a multi-ethnic urban Australian population. Methods and analysis: The PROMOTE cohort study is an ongoing prospective pregnancy cohort study recruiting pregnant participants < 16 weeks gestation at a large urban public teaching hospital with high social and cultural diversity in Sydney, Australia. Participants are surveyed about their physical activity levels, dietary quality, emotional wellbeing and socio-demographic status using validated tools. Participants are consented for use of routinely collected clinical and social data, including medical conditions, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP) and glycaemia. Follow-up is from routinely collected data. Results: A total of 459 participants were recruited between February 2022 and February 2024. Physical activity levels at recruitment were sufficiently active, low active and inactive in 39%, 45% and 16% of participants. Participation in moderate or vigorous physical activity was reported in 19% and 16% of participants, respectively. Participation in vigorous physical activity occurred in 10% of those with GDM vs. 17% of those without GDM (p = 0.11). Participation in any moderate/vigorous physical activity was reported in 20% of those with GDM vs. 30% of those without GDM (p = 0.058). Compared to inactive behaviour, the unadjusted odds ratio of developing GDM amongst those participating in any moderate/vigorous physical activity was 0.58 (95% CI 0.33–0.97), p = 0.045. Participation in any moderate/vigorous physical activity showed an association with lower oral glucose tolerance test levels at 1 h (7.49 vs. 8.17 mmol/L, p = 0.002). Participation in any vigorous activity was associated with lower oral glucose tolerance test levels at 1 h (7.25 vs. 8.11, p = <0.001). Conclusions: Uptake of existing physical activity recommendations is low. Gestational diabetes risk showed a trend toward variation by intensity of physical activity, with a trend toward greater intensity being associated with a possible lower rate of gestational diabetes. Full article

Against the backdrop of global economic digital transformation and the rapid flow of creative factors, innovation spaces, as the key carriers of inventive activities, drive high-quality development in urban agglomerations. This study develops a three-dimensional framework of “Spatial Structure–Factor Synergy–Institutional Drivers” to uncover the evolution of innovation spaces and industrial shifts in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration, China. Methodologically, spatial econometric techniques were applied to capture both the overall concentration and spatial disparities of innovation. Spatial Gini and variation coefficients measured innovation clustering, while standard deviation ellipses and location entropy identified spatial linkages among high-tech innovation clusters. Geographically weighted regression models explored spatial heterogeneity in influencing factors, and a policy intensity index was constructed to assess the effectiveness of differentiated policy interventions in optimizing innovation resources. Key findings include the following: (1) Innovation spaces are spatially polarized in a “core–periphery” pattern, yet require cross-regional collaboration. Concurrently, high-tech industries demonstrate a gradient structure: central cities leading in R&D, sub-central cities driving industrial applications, and node cities achieving specialized development through industrial transfer. (2) The driving mechanisms exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity: economic density shows diminishing returns in core areas, whereas R&D investment and ecological quality demonstrate increasingly positive effects, with foreign investment’s role evolving positively post-institutional reforms. (3) Regional innovation synergy has formed a preliminary framework, but strengthening sustainable policy mechanisms remains pivotal to advancing market-driven coordination and dismantling administrative barriers. These findings underscore the importance of integrated policy reforms for achieving balanced and high-quality innovation development in administratively coordinated urban agglomerations like BTH. Full article

Enhancing shrinking county towns’ resilience (SCTR) is crucial for fostering high-quality development and supporting China’s new urbanization strategy. However, research on resilience in shrinking areas remains limited, particularly at the county level—characterized as an “urban-rural intermediary”. In this study, we develop an evaluation framework based on a coupled human–environment perspective. Using this framework, we assess SCTR across various regions and levels of shrinkage in China from 2013 to 2022, while analyzing the coupling coordination degree among subsystems. To address challenges such as nonlinearity, spatial heterogeneity, and interpretability in attribution analysis, we integrate the Geographically Weighted Random Forest (GWRF) model with the SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) model. The results show a gradual increase in resilience throughout the study period. Spatially, a distinct East–West disparity emerges, with higher resilience in the East and lower resilience in the West, as delineated by the Hu Line. For extreme-shrinking counties, population decline has become a paramount constraint on their resilience. Key factors, including local fiscal revenue, GDP, the Gini coefficient, and urbanization levels, have a significant impact on SCTR. Notably, in counties undergoing severe or extreme shrinkage, population decline has become a critical barrier to resilience. This study provides scientific insights and policy recommendations for the development of a sustainable and resilient county-town system in China. Full article

The rapid development of new-generation information technologies, such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data, and blockchain, is profoundly reshaping production and lifestyles, with regional development patterns. This study employs text analysis to extract the policy adoption timeline of cloud computing from official documents and constructs a quasi-natural experiment framework. First, spatial autocorrelation and hotspot analysis reveal significant spatial dependence in the urban green total factor productivity (GTFP). Accordingly, using panel data of 284 Chinese cities from 2000 to 2023, we apply a spatial difference-in-differences (SDID) model to empirically examine the impact of cloud computing on the urban GTFP. The results show that, first, the adoption of cloud computing significantly enhances the local GTFP, but simultaneously suppresses neighboring cities’ GTFP through the siphon effect, thereby generating negative spatial spillover effects. These findings remain robust across parallel trend tests, placebo tests, and multiple robustness tests. Second, mechanism analysis indicates that improved resource allocation efficiency and strengthened green innovation are the two core channels through which cloud computing promotes GTFP. Third, heterogeneity analysis reveals that cloud computing exhibits stronger siphon effects in smaller cities, generates significant positive spatial spillover effects in coastal regions, and effectively fosters GTFP growth within urban agglomerations, while exerting limited influence on non-agglomerated areas. Moreover, industrial agglomeration further amplifies the positive impact of cloud computing on GTFP. Additionally, from the perspective of regional policies, this study finds that promoting the integrated development of urban agglomerations, reducing administrative monopoly, facilitating free factor mobility, and advancing urban international economic activities are effective pathways to mitigate the siphon effect of cloud computing on the urban GTFP. Based on these findings, this study offers targeted policy recommendations to leverage cloud computing for advancing green and high-quality urban development. Full article

High-quality brand development requires both innovation and legal protection. Although innovation and branding reinforce each other, companies must also prioritize legal safeguards to prevent brand image damage caused by infringement. Therefore, a city’s level of innovation and intellectual property protection jointly shapes its brand development potential. Green fiscal policies can incentivize enterprises to invest in eco-friendly technological R&D, thereby providing foundational support for brand development. This study utilizes trademark data (2005–2018) from 299 prefecture-level cities in China and employs a quasi-natural experiment based on the pilot program of “Comprehensive Demonstration Cities for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction.” A multi-period DID model is utilized to assess whether such fiscal policies enhance urban brand development potential. According to the findings, the policy substantially improves brand potential by raising awareness of intellectual property and restricting industrial energy use. Heterogeneity analysis reveals stronger policy effects in western and eastern urban areas, particularly in cities with more “Time-Honored Chinese Brands,” increased research and development investment, lower fiscal pressure, greater marketization, and non-resource-based economies. These results add to the literature on brand innovation and protection and provide empirical support for the role of green fiscal policy in promoting brand growth potential. Full article

Progressive urbanization and increasing pressure on urban green areas necessitate the search for innovative, ecological, and efficient solutions for lawn management. The shallow root system of grasses, combined with a long vegetation period, makes these plants particularly sensitive to water and nutrient deficiencies. One research direction involves the use of zeolites, natural aluminosilicate minerals that, due to their porous structure and high sorption capacity, improve water retention and nutrient availability in soil. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different zeolite doses on the initial growth and development of two turfgrass species (Lolium perenne, Festuca rubra), as well as on selected lawn performance traits, and to determine the persistence of these effects over time. This research was conducted in 2020–2023 under pot and micro-plot experiment conditions, using mixtures containing the above species. Four levels of zeolite addition to the substrate were applied: 0% (control), 1%, 5%, and 10%. The results clearly confirmed the beneficial effects of zeolite. Its addition improved the germination, growth, and biomass yield of aboveground parts and roots, as well as enhancing turf aesthetics, ground cover, and winter hardiness, while reducing the proportion of dicotyledonous species. The best effects were obtained with the 5% dose, which should be considered optimal—it significantly improved lawn utility parameters with lower material input compared to the 10% dose. Species response varied: L. perenne responded more strongly to improved water–air conditions, whereas F. rubra utilized higher zeolite doses more effectively in root system development. The highest overall effectiveness was recorded with the 10% dose. Zeolite effectiveness was greatest in the first year after application, showing a declining trend in subsequent years, although a positive effect was still observed in the third year of use. The findings support the recommendation of zeolite as an ecological soil additive that enhances lawn quality and durability, particularly in low-fertility soils and under water deficit conditions. Its application may represent an important component of modern green space management technologies in line with the principles of sustainable development. Full article

To enhance ecosystem services (ESs) benefits and promote ecological–economic–sociologic sustainability in highly urbanized regions such as the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region, it is essential to assess the dynamic changes in ESs within these regions from a functional zoning perspective and to explore the interactions between ESs. This research delved into how ESs change over space and time, using land-use projections for 2035 based on Natural Development (ND), Ecological Protection (EP), Economic Construction (EC) scenarios. This study also took a close look at the interplay of these ESs across BTH and its five distinct functional zones: the Bashang Plateau Ecological Protection Zone (BS), the Northwestern Ecological Conservation Zone (ST), the Central Core Functional Zone (HX), the Southern Functional Expansion Zone (TZ), and the Eastern Coastal Development Zone (BH). We utilize the Multiple Ecosystem Service Landscape Index (MESLI) to assess the capacity to supply multiple ESs. Key results include the following: (1) Projected land-use changes for 2035 scenarios consistently show cropland and grassland declining, while forest and urbanland expand, though the magnitude of change varies by scenario. (2) Habitat quality, carbon storage, and soil conservation displayed a “high northwest–low southeast” gradient, opposite to water yield. The average MESLI value declined in all scenarios relative to 2020, with the highest value under the EP scenario. (3) Synergies prevailed between habitat quality, carbon storage, and soil conservation, while trade-offs occurred with water yield. These relationships varied spatially—for instance, habitat quality and soil conservation were weakly synergistic in the BS but showed weak trade-offs in the HX. These insights can inform management strategies in other rapidly urbanizing regions. Full article

Amid the rapid evolution of the digital economy reshaping global competitiveness, China has advanced regional coordination through the Digital China initiative and the “Data Elements ×” Three-Year Action Plan (2024–2026). To further integrate digital transformation with high-quality growth in the urban agglomerations of the middle and lower Yellow River, this study aims to strengthen regional competitiveness, expand digital industries, foster new productivity, refine the development pathway, and safeguard balanced economic, social, and ecological progress. Taking the Yellow River urban clusters as the research object, a comprehensive assessment framework encompassing seven subsystems is established. By employing a mixed-weighting approach, entropy-based TOPSIS, hotspot analysis, coupling coordination models, spatial gravity shift techniques, and grey relational methods, this study investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics between the digital economy and high-quality development. The findings reveal that: (1) temporally, the coupling–coordination process evolves through three distinct phases—initial fluctuation and divergence (1990–2005), synergy consolidation (2005–2015), and high-level stabilization (2015–2022)—with the average coordination index rising from 0.21 to 0.41; (2) spatially, a persistent “core–periphery” structure emerges, while subsystem coupling consistently surpasses coordination levels, reflecting a pattern of “high coupling but insufficient coordination”; (3) hot–cold spot analysis identifies sharp east–west contrasts, with the gravity center shift and ellipse trajectory showing weaker directional stability but greater dispersion; and (4) grey correlation results indicate that key drivers have transitioned from economic scale and infrastructure inputs to green innovation performance and data resource allocation. Overall, this study interprets the empirical results in both temporal and spatial dimensions, offering insights for policymakers seeking to narrow the digital divide and advance sustainable, high-quality development in the Yellow River region. Full article

To address land space issues in the West Qinling Mountains—including habitat degradation, ecosystem damage, spatial pattern imbalance and unsustainable resource use—this study employed the InVEST habitat quality model and spatial autocorrelation analysis. Based on land use remote sensing data from 1990 to 2020, we simulated and evaluated habitat quality and degradation over this 30-year period to propose scientific recommendations and optimization strategies. The results showed that: (1) The area of grassland and farmland in the West Qinling Mountains decreased significantly, the area of construction land, bare land and forest land increased mainly; (2) The habitat quality of the West Qinling Mountains was generally high, and the average of the habitat quality showed an overall decreasing trend in the period of 1990–2020. The proportion of worst habitat increased from 4.11% to 5.21%. The habitat quality is in the process of polarization, the spatial distribution of habitat quality in West Qinling shows a pattern of “high in the west, low in the north and southeast”; (3) The hot and cold spots of habitat quality in West Qinling are spatially manifested as “hotter in the west and the south; colder in the center and the east”; (4) The spatial clustering of habitat quality in the West Qinling Mountains is obvious, with the area of the high–high area and the low–low area increasing with time, the high–low area decreasing, and the low–high area slightly increasing. (5) The degree of habitat degradation in the West Qinling Mountains is generally low, the average value of degradation from 1990 to 2020 showed an upward trend, habitat degradation is in the process of converging to medium risk. The area of medium habitat degradation expanded by nearly 1.5 times between 1990 and 2020. The spatial distribution of habitat degradation in the West Qinling Mountains generally shows a pattern of low in the west and high in the north and high in the southeast. In future planning and management, the west Qinling Mountains should formulate and carry out scientific ecological restoration plans and projects in terms of improving the quality of habitats, curbing habitat degradation, optimizing the direction of regional land use and reasonably protecting land resources, in an effort to balance urban development and ecological protection, curbing ecological degradation, guaranteeing the sustainable development of the habitats in a benign direction. Full article

Green technological innovation integrates the two major strategies of innovation-driven development and green development and serves as a crucial pathway to achieving the goal of high-quality and sustainable development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB). Against the backdrop of regional integration, it is of great significance to study the coordinated development trend of green technological innovation, with urban agglomerations as the unit of study. This study takes 108 cities in the YREB as research objects, constructs a Green Technological Innovation Efficiency (GTIE) measurement framework based on a two-stage DEA model, and decomposes GTIE into Technological Innovation Efficiency (TIE) and Green Production Capacity (GCP). On this basis, using the System GMM model, this study examines the mechanism by which the economic connection structure affects GTIE, TIE, and GCP from the perspective of urban agglomeration spatial networks. The empirical results show that from 2006 to 2020, the overall GTIE of the YREB showed a steady upward trend, and its spatial pattern evolved from “high in the east and low in the west” to “coordinated development of the three major urban agglomerations.” The three urban agglomerations played a core leading role in the diffusion of regional green innovation. Specifically, the economic integration development of urban agglomeration spatial networks significantly promoted the improvement of GTIE; the spatial network structure of TIE within the urban agglomerations exerted a significant positive spillover effect on GCP, while the GCP network structure also showed a significant feedback effect on TIE. Overall, through strengthening the inter-city flow of innovative factors and collaboration, regional integration has effectively promoted the coordinated growth and diffusion of green technological innovation, providing important support for the high-quality improvement of regional productivity and contributing to the sustainable development of the region. Full article

Particulate matter (PM) poses serious health risks, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and is classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization and International Agency for Research on Cancer. Roadside air pollution, which is strongly affected by traffic emissions, is a major contributor to urban air quality deterioration. This study investigated the feasibility of establishing a low-cost, Internet of Things (IoT)-based, high-density monitoring network for roadside PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 to support safer and more sustainable road environments. We developed low-cost IoT sensing devices, deployed them at three urban roadside sites with different environmental conditions, and compared their performances with those of nearby public monitoring stations. One-minute resolution data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, cross-correlation, dynamic time warping, Z-score, and the roulette index. The IoT sensor data were strongly correlated with public station data, confirming its reliability as a complementary observation method. Notable site-specific patterns were sharp concentration increases with traffic at an intersection and distinct diurnal and weekly cycles at residential and rooftop sites. These findings demonstrate that low-cost IoT sensing can complement sparse public networks by providing microscale air quality information. This approach offers a practical foundation for smart city development and intelligent roadside environmental management. Full article