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Land
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Regional Solutions to Urban-Rural Coordinated Development in the Megacity Regions...
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Regional Solutions to Urban-Rural Coordinated Development in the Megacity Regions (3rd Edition)

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 24 February 2025 | Viewed by 2168

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wei Lang

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Guest Editor
1. Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
2. China Regional Coordinated Development and Rural Construction Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
Interests: public participation and community planning; rural construction and planning; urban form and spatial structure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tingting Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: urban planning; community planning; urban renewal
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Xun Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
2. China Regional Coordinated Development and Rural Construction Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
Interests: regional planning; community participatory planning; urban and rural human settlements construction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Eddie Chi-man Hui

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Public and International Affairs, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Interests: real estate; housing; land and planning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the Special Issue of Land on “Regional Solutions to Urban-Rural Coordinated Development in the Megacity Regions (3rd Edition)".

We are pleased to invite researchers from different disciplines, such as urban planning, human geography, social sciences, economics, environmental sciences, and other related disciplines, to submit papers to this Special Issue on “Regional Solutions to Urban-Rural Coordinated Development in the Megacity Regions”. Multidisciplinary research that addresses multiple social-environmental–economical facets, with regard to transitional urban-rural development from regional perspectives, is particularly welcome. This Special Issue will shed light on the development of megacity regions across countries as a spatial form of urban-rural integrated development, which plays a crucial role in regional economic development.

The U.N. Habitat has acknowledged that strengthening urban-rural linkages is vital for achieving sustainable urbanization in human settlements of all sizes. This has been reaffirmed by recent inter-governmental debates, with the strengthening of urban-rural linkages included both as a sustainable development target and a vital issue in regional development. A megacity region comprises a cluster of highly networked urban settlements anchored by large cities (Yeh and Chen, 2019). Substantial studies were conducted as early as the 1920s and included terms such as megalopolis, metropolitan area (region), urban agglomeration, metropolitan coordinating region, city group, and city cluster (Fang and Yu, 2017). The complex and dynamic nature of urban-rural interactions tests the capacity of existing governance structures to address pressing regional challenges (Dabson, 2019).

Policymakers are increasingly paying attention to how urbanization will transform regions. However, less attention is currently being paid to the complex rural-to-urban and urban-to-rural interactions within megacity areas. The urban-rural linkages are among the most critical dimensions through which urban and regional systems are reconstructed and integrated. A truly integrated approach to urban-rural coordination development must go beyond intra-city policy coordination and traditional rural issues. However, with growing concerns regarding urban-rural dissonance and divides, regional governance, collaboration, and policies to address urban-rural disparities are less considered. Therefore, policies and planning are required in response to these challenges and the emerging megacity regions in the new wave of urban-rural transition and integration.

Against this background, this Special Issue aims to analyze regional planning practices for towns/cities and rural areas to successfully develop urban-rural integration and promote multilevel and regional governance. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • The historical evolution of issues and challenges of megacity regional development;
  • The diverse influences of urban agglomeration and metropolitan coordinated regions;
  • The analysis and evaluation of urban-rural development within megacity regions;
  • Regional solutions seeking to alleviate urban-rural challenges;
  • The spatial consequences of regional planning for urban-rural integrated development;
  • Strategies to address rural revitalization challenges in metropolitan areas;
  • Cohesion policies to strengthen urban-rural linkages through megacity regions;
  • Approaches to strengthening cross-functional regional systems toward an urban-rural balance through regional policymaking.

References:

  1. Yeh, A. G. O., & Chen, Z. (2020). From cities to super mega city regions in China in a new wave of urbanisation and economic transition: Issues and challenges. Urban Studies, 57(3), 636-654.
  2. Fang, C., & Yu, D. (2017). Urban agglomeration: An evolving concept of an emerging phenomenon. Landscape and urban planning, 162, 126-136.
  3. Dabson, B. (2019). Regional solutions for rural and urban challenges. State and Local Government Review, 51(4), 283-291.

Dr. Wei Lang
Dr. Tingting Chen
Prof. Dr. Xun Li
Prof. Dr. Eddie Chi-man Hui
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • megacity regions
  • metropolitan coordinating region
  • urban agglomeration
  • urban-rural systems
  • coordinated regional development
  • regional planning and governance
  • integrated urban-rural development
  • structures and networks
  • rural construction and evaluation
  • human settlement environment improvement

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1429 KiB  
Article
Measurement of Urban–Rural Integration Development Level and Diagnosis of Obstacle Factors: Evidence from the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Urban Agglomeration, China
by Qiuyi Wu, Wei Chang, Mengfei Song and Honghui Zhu
Land 2025, 14(2), 261; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020261 - 26 Jan 2025
Viewed by 265
Abstract
Advancing urban–rural integration (URI) is pivotal to addressing the current urban–rural development imbalance in China. The urban agglomeration, as a crucial engine propelling China’s modernization, holds significant importance in accelerating this integration process. Comprehensive quantitative analysis of URI development within the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) [...] Read more.
Advancing urban–rural integration (URI) is pivotal to addressing the current urban–rural development imbalance in China. The urban agglomeration, as a crucial engine propelling China’s modernization, holds significant importance in accelerating this integration process. Comprehensive quantitative analysis of URI development within the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) urban agglomeration is often lacking in existing research. This study constructs an indicator system for evaluating the level of integration using data from 14 cities in the region from 2010 to 2022, focusing on economic, social, and ecological perspectives. Utilizing the Coupling Coordination Model and the Obstacle Degree Model, this study analyzes the level and evolutionary trends of URI development within the BTH urban agglomeration. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The level of URI in the BTH urban agglomeration exhibits an overall upward trend, increasing from 0.377 in 2010 to 0.543 in 2022. The economic, social, and ecological subsystems all demonstrate positive integration trends. (2) The spatial evolution of the integration level reveals a distinct core–periphery structure. Beijing and Tianjin, as the core areas, continuously foster the collaborative development of surrounding cities through radiation and spillover effects. The core of URI has shifted gradually from the central–east to the central–north, indicating an upward movement of the core area, as revealed by trend surface analysis. Although Shijiazhuang, a central city in the South BTH urban agglomeration, has seen rapid improvement in integration levels, its role in driving development is less significant than that of Beijing and Tianjin. (3) The URI subsystems in the 14 cities of the BTH urban agglomeration show improved coordination. The coordination development between Beijing and Tianjin has yielded significant results, emerging as a key driver in promoting the coordinated development of urban agglomerations. Most regions in the urban agglomeration exhibit mild imbalance or coordination, with the central and northern areas scoring higher in coordination. (4) The obstacles analysis indicates that the economic integration and social integration systems are the primary obstacles to enhancing the ecological integration of urban agglomerations. Urban–rural transportation, investment levels, and economic development are key obstacles for the BTH urban agglomeration integrated development. This study offers key insights for strategic planning in the BTH urban agglomeration region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regional Solutions to Urban-Rural Coordinated Development in the Megacity Regions (3rd Edition))
22 pages, 7827 KiB  
Article
Research on the Spatial Network Connection Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Chengdu–Chongqing Urban Agglomeration from the Perspective of Flow Space
by Yangguang Hao, Zhongwei Shen, Jiexi Ma, Jiawei Li and Mengqian Yang
Land 2025, 14(1), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010120 - 9 Jan 2025
Viewed by 492
Abstract
Urban Agglomerations (UAs), as the primary form of China’s new urbanization and an essential spatial unit for promoting coordinated regional development, play a crucial role in measuring the sustainable and healthy development of urban clusters through the assessment of spatial network connections among [...] Read more.
Urban Agglomerations (UAs), as the primary form of China’s new urbanization and an essential spatial unit for promoting coordinated regional development, play a crucial role in measuring the sustainable and healthy development of urban clusters through the assessment of spatial network connections among cities within the UAs. Taking the 16 prefecture-level cities of the Chengdu-Chongqing Urban Agglomeration (CCUA) as the research subject, this study constructs six types of element flow networks, including population flow, logistics, and information flow. Employing network visualization analysis, the Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) neural network machine learning models, and Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) relational regression models, the research analyzes the spatial network characteristics of the CCUA from the perspective of multi-dimensional element flows and explores the influencing factors of the UA’s connectivity pattern. The results indicate that: The various element flows within the CCUA exhibit a bipolar spatial network characteristic with Chengdu and Chongqing as the poles. In the element network grouping features, a multi-centered group differentiation structure is presented, and the intensity of internal element flow varies. Based on the results of the SOM neural network machine learning model, the connectivity capabilities of cities within the CCUA are divided into five levels. Among them, Chengdu and Chongqing have the strongest comprehensive connectivity capabilities, showing a significant difference compared to other cities, and there is an imbalance in the connectivity capabilities between cities. In terms of the influencing factors of the urban connectivity pattern within the CCUA, the differences in permanent population size and urbanization rates have a significant negative impact on the information flow network, technology flow network, and capital flow network. The differences in the secondary industrial structure and public budget expenditures have a significant positive impact on the intensity of inter-city element flows, and the differences in per capita consumption expenditures have a significant negative impact, collectively influencing the formation of the spatial connectivity pattern of the CCUA. The findings of this study can provide a scientific basis for the construction and optimization of the spatial connectivity pattern of the CCUA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regional Solutions to Urban-Rural Coordinated Development in the Megacity Regions (3rd Edition))
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41 pages, 2520 KiB  
Article
How Digitalization and Its Context Affect the Urban–Rural Income Gap: A Configurational Analysis Based on 274 Prefecture-Level Administrative Regions in China
by Yulong Jie, Shuigen Hu, Siling Zhu and Lieen Weng
Land 2024, 13(12), 2118; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13122118 - 6 Dec 2024
Viewed by 902
Abstract
Digitalization offers an opportunity to narrow the economic gap between urban and rural areas; however, there are fragmented and competing explanations regarding its impact mechanisms. Responding to calls for research on the complex effects of digitalization, this paper, based on a contextual perspective [...] Read more.
Digitalization offers an opportunity to narrow the economic gap between urban and rural areas; however, there are fragmented and competing explanations regarding its impact mechanisms. Responding to calls for research on the complex effects of digitalization, this paper, based on a contextual perspective and configurational theory, analyzes the impact of digitalization conditions embedded in contexts on the urban–rural income gap. The study, based on a sample of 274 prefecture-level administrative regions in China from 2014 to 2021, employs a Panel Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Panel fsQCA) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA). The combined application of necessity analysis and sufficiency analysis reveals that certain digitalization conditions—such as digital infrastructure, digital industry, and digital finance—have a universal influence on the urban–rural income gap. Importantly, the sufficiency analysis demonstrates that the impact mechanisms of digitalization conditions exhibit configurational effects, varying with changes in contextual and conditional combinations. The models that significantly narrow the urban–rural income gap include (1) the “infrastructure–finance–governance” model, (2) the comprehensive digital transformation model, (3) the “technology–infrastructure–industry” model, and (4) the digital infrastructure transformation model. Among these, the comprehensive digital transformation model is the most universally effective. These configurations reflect the logic of completeness and substitutability and exhibit specific dynamic evolutionary trends and spatial distribution characteristics. These findings provide contextual and adaptable empirical insights for economies, including China, to implement targeted digital transformation strategies that effectively narrow the urban–rural income gap. For instance, economies can focus on developing comprehensive digital transformation in prosperous and open regions to reduce income gap. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regional Solutions to Urban-Rural Coordinated Development in the Megacity Regions (3rd Edition))
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