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Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies

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A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2023) | Viewed by 26166

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Dr. Bo Li

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Guest Editor

School of Management, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384, China
Interests: resources policy; environmental economics; urban sustainable development; regional economics; sustainable development of resources-based cities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Business Administration, Laval University, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Interests: globalization of production; Industry 4.0 and global value chain; sustainable value chain; sustainable production and consumption; organization and resilience
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent decades have witnessed a time of dynamic socioeconomic changes to urban land, which deeply influence the living spaces around every urban inhabitant across the globe, especially in emerging economies. Recently, global urban development and land planning have been faced with unprecedented challenges, resulting in a downward trend of efficienturban land use, sharp fluctuation in urban economy, and an imbalance of urban socioeconomic development and environment sustainability. These issues all expose the vulnerability of urban civilization to a certain extent. As expected, rapid urbanization, infrastructure development, informationization and related land policies are viewed as the most critical characteristics and fundamental drivers of human civilization, habitat and the natural environment. Therefore, in order to adapt to this fast-changing developmental context, the relationship among urban infrastructure development, land-related policies and socio-economic impacts in emerging economies need to be further identified both theoretically and empirically, which is exceptionally important for the development of mining towns, resources-based cities, and other resource-dependent regions.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a communication platform for sharing insights into urban infrastructure development, land use, spatial allocation and related policy, formulated in the process of urban development and governance in emerging economies, so as to ensure the effectiveness of these existing efforts , achieve more efficient and practical solutions, and help explore potential sustainable development paths globally.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Relationship among urban infrastructure development, land-related policy and socio-economic impacts in emerging economies;
Influence mechanism of environmental change, technological change, urban infrastructure development and land use on urban–rural migration in emerging economies;
Coupling of industrial agglomeration, urban infrastructure development and urban land use in emerging economies;
Relationship between real-estate related policy on urban infrastructure development and socioeconomic development in emerging economies;
Assessment of socioeconomic, environment and health consequences of urban infrastructure development and land-related policy in emerging economies;
Assessment of measures and policies for urban infrastructure development and urban sustainable development in emerging economies.

Dr. Bo Li
Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin
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

urban infrastructure development
land-related policy
resource-based cities
resource-dependent regions
policy assessment
emerging economies

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 1867 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Has the Reform of Land Reserve Financing Policy Reduced the Local Governments’ Implicit Debt?

by Zhifeng Wang, Xuening Ge, Yunxia He and Shuting Li

Land 2023, 12(11), 2057; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12112057 - 12 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1619

Abstract

Confronted with the expansion of local governments’ implicit debt and the associated risks induced by the practice of “land-based financing”, substantial alterations occurred in China’s land reserve financing policy during 2016–2017. These modifications led to an entire cessation of land reserve loans and the initiation of specialized bonds designated solely for land reserves. Empirical evidence, gathered through the approximate application of the difference-in-differences method, reveals that the reform of the land reserve financing policy can markedly reduce local governments’ implicit debt level. Based upon this foundation, the results of the triple-difference regression demonstrate that the diminution effect of the land reserve financing policy reform on local governments’ implicit debt is more pronounced in regions characterized by lower levels of marketization and more substantial legal financing constraints. This research enriches the comprehensive understanding of the impact of land reserve financing policy reform, possessing considerable referential value for the prevention and resolution of local governments’ implicit debt. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies)

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11 pages, 549 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Tax Incentive Policies for Land Use on Local Socioeconomic Conditions: A Case of Tax Policies for Urban Regeneration Projects in Republic of Korea

by JiSun Chung and SungMan Yoon

Land 2023, 12(9), 1801; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091801 - 18 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1510

Abstract

South Korea has implemented several housing urban regeneration projects (URPs) and offers various tax incentives to support these efforts. However, the reality is that there is insufficient empirical evidence to determine whether these incentives have a socioeconomic impact on URPs. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of tax incentives related to urban regeneration projects (URPTAX) on local socioeconomic factors, such as Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), aging housing reduction, and housing prices. Fixed-effect models and cost–benefit analysis methods were employed in the study. The results demonstrate the following outcomes. Firstly, URPTAX positively contributes to an increase in GRDP, a decrease in the proportion of aging housing, and an increase in housing price fluctuations. However, the effectiveness of these effects varies between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. Therefore, this study suggests the significance of providing stronger tax incentives for housing URPs in non-metropolitan areas to encourage active projects and foster balanced regional development in South Korea. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies)

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21 pages, 1798 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Financial Density and Improvement of Urban Technological Efficiency: An Estimation Based on the Stochastic Frontier Approach

by Jing Guo, Ying Wang, Haidong Xu, Bo Li and Yang Wang

Land 2023, 12(8), 1592; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081592 - 12 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1030

Abstract

Exploring the relationship between finance and economic growth is a key direction of financial economics. However, most of the literature starts from the aggregate perspective and uses the GDP or per capita GDP as the explained variable to study the role of finance. Such a perspective ignores the heterogeneity of financial activities with respect to geographical distribution and makes it difficult to distinguish the roles of factor input and efficiency improvement. Because of this, this article introduces a “density” perspective on new economic geography and the measurement of the efficiency of the transition of development economics into financial economics. This article uses the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) method to measure the technical efficiency (TE) of 272 cities in China from 2005 to 2018 and then, based on “forward-looking” and “backward-looking” methods, measures the impact of financial density on urban technical efficiency. This study found that overall, before the financial crisis in 2008, the contribution of financial density to technical efficiency showed a downward trend, and in the regional and provincial dimensions, the distribution of financial density’s contribution to technical efficiency was generally in line with that of backward regions, with less regularity in developed regions. In the urban dimension, the contribution rate of financial density to resource-based cities with slow technological progress or advanced cities with rich financial resources is not very prominent and may even play a negative role; however, cities that are at a medium level of development, rich in population resources, have convenient transportation, and have a certain industrial foundation can greatly promote the improvement of technical efficiency. Therefore, it may be possible to optimize the marginal contribution of urban financial density to the technical efficiency of Chinese cities by encouraging the flow of financial resources and activities from cities with small marginal effects to those with large marginal effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies)

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14 pages, 867 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Does Smart City Construction Affect Urban–Rural Collaborative Development? A Quasi-Natural Experiment from Chinese Cities

by Daxin Gong and Xiaofan Shan

Land 2023, 12(8), 1571; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081571 - 8 Aug 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2166

Abstract

In recent years, smart city construction has brought significant social and economic impacts to emerging economies, especially in narrowing the urban–rural gap. However, there is relatively little empirical research on this aspect. We take China as an example for research. This study uses a Spatial Multi-period Difference-in-Differences (DID) approach to investigate the relationship between smart city construction and urban–rural collaborative development in Chinese cities, taking digital infrastructure as the mechanism variable. Our findings reveal that smart city construction significantly promotes urban–rural collaborative development and exhibits positive spatial externalities. These results remain robust after parallel trend tests, placebo checks, and controlling for other policy interferences. Further analysis suggests that this effect operates largely through the reinforcement of digital infrastructure, whereby the smart city initiatives enhance connectivity and interaction between urban and rural areas, fostering collaborative development. Moreover, the efficacy of smart city policies is found to be particularly prominent in cities with strong economic development, weak levels of urban–rural collaborative development, and high degrees of digitization. By illuminating the role of smart city construction in propelling urban–rural collaborative development, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies)

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14 pages, 269 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Does the Smart City Policy Influence Digital Infrastructure? Spatial Evidence from China

by Meijing Song, Yuan Xiao and Yige Zhou

Land 2023, 12(7), 1381; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071381 - 11 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3999

Abstract

With the rapid development of the Internet and digital technology, digital infrastructure has become an important part of urban infrastructure. Many cities are enacting smart policies to promote the development of digital technology infrastructure. However, what are their mechanisms? There is currently a shortage of literature on the subject. This paper tried to solve this problem and used China as an example. Using panel data from cities in China, this paper used the spatial multiple-period difference-in-difference (SDID) method to investigate the impact of smart city policy (SCP) on digital infrastructure. First, we found that SCP significantly promotes the construction of digital infrastructure, with strong positive spatial spillover effects. This result remained valid after a series of rigorous robustness tests. Second, we discovered that the indirect effects of policy implementation outweigh the direct effects. Furthermore, smart city development enhances local government investment in digital infrastructure, attracts more high-tech enterprises, and consequently drives improvements in urban digital infrastructure levels. Lastly, we observed that the effectiveness of smart city policies is stronger in cities with good fiscal conditions, strong economic development, and a thriving digital economy. This research will not only enrich research on smart cities but also provide policy recommendations for strengthening digital infrastructure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies)

23 pages, 5636 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial-Temporal Distribution and Coupling Relationship of High-Speed Railway and Economic Networks in Metropolitan Areas of China

by Guojie Ma, Jinxing Hu and Riquan Zhang

Land 2023, 12(6), 1193; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061193 - 7 Jun 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1834

Abstract

The planning of urban transportation infrastructure and land-related policies has a significant impact on the living conditions of urban residents and socio-economic development, particularly in emerging economies. As urbanization continues to advance, Metropolitan Areas (MAs) have become crucial for achieving industrial coordination, functional complementarity between cities, and integrated regional development. Applying Social Network Analysis (SNA), the gravity model, and Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) analysis, this study investigated the spatial-temporal distribution patterns of High-Speed Railway (HSR) networks and economic networks in MAs in China and the dynamic coupling relationship between these two networks. The findings revealed that, although core cities in the Yangtze River Delta MA in China exert varying degrees of radiation and driving effects on the economic development of surrounding cities, the overall development remains immature with a noticeable disequilibrium phenomenon. The coupling relationship between the HSR networks and the economic networks also differs significantly among different MAs. It is expected that the findings and suggestions of this study will contribute to the improvement of urban planning and governance and facilitate coordinated development between urban transportation infrastructure and the economy in emerging economies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies)

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20 pages, 5350 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Spatial Pattern and Influencing Factors of Traffic Dominance in Xi’an Metropolitan Area

by Julin Li, Tongsheng Li, Bingchen Zhu, Yilin Wang, Xieyang Chen and Ruikuan Liu

Land 2023, 12(6), 1146; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061146 - 30 May 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1452

Abstract

Metropolitan areas shoulder the crucial task of regional and even national economic development. Analyzing the spatial patterns and influencing factors of metropolitan traffic dominance can provide a scientific basis for the optimization of its transportation and industrial layout, which is conducive to the development of its economy. Previous studies on traffic dominance paid little attention to metropolitan areas and even less so to study these areas from the perspective of town units, even though these are the basic units that narrow the gap between urban and rural areas and thus achieve regional economic integration. The traffic dominance model can comprehensively and wholly reflect regional traffic conditions, due to its multidimensional characteristics (including traffic network density, traffic arterial influence and accessibility). Consequently, taking the Xi’an metropolitan area as an exemplar and the town as the basic unit, this paper employs this model and other methods to study the spatial pattern and influencing factors of its traffic dominance. The results show the following: (1) the traffic network density, traffic arterial influence and accessibility had different distribution patterns; however, they were the same in that their superiorities were relatively high in the main urban area of Xi’an city or along and on both sides of the high-speed railways (HSRs), whereas relatively low in the peripheral areas; (2) the integrated traffic dominance consistently displayed a “point-axis” pattern, with greater superiority in the east–west axis areas within 30 km of Xi’an city, especially in the main urban area of Xi’an city; (3) the integrated traffic dominance between towns had stable agglomeration correlation in the global areas and formed three major modes in the local areas: high–high, low–low and low–high aggregation. High–high mode was concentrated in the main urban areas of Xi’an and Xianyang city, low–low mode was mainly distributed in the Weibei hilly and gully areas and the Qinling mountain areas and low–high mode always nested on the edge of high–high areas; and (4) the location, GDP and elevation had a greater impact, whereas construction intensity, population and slope had a relatively small influence on the town’s traffic dominance, and their influence ability had a decreasing trend from 2010 to 2022. Finally, this paper discusses the theoretical implications, practical values and some prospects based on the research results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies)

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15 pages, 305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of the Implementation of the Broadband China Policy (BCP) on House Prices: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in China

by Peng Wang, Yihui He and Kengcheng Zheng

Land 2023, 12(5), 1111; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051111 - 22 May 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1681

Abstract

With the rapid development of digital finance, the implementation of digital infrastructure is becoming increasingly significant. Broadband construction is an important part of the communication network, and can promote urban infrastructure in cities. However, whether the development of broadband can affect housing prices by affecting the urban infrastructure and the convenience of residents is a question worth addressing. In this study, using panel data regarding cities in China, we used the spatial multi-period difference-in-differences (SDID) model to investigate the utility of the Broadband China Policy (BCP) on urban house prices and the mechanism of impact. We found that the BCP can increase house prices, and that this impact has a positive spatial spillover effect. This conclusion still held after a series of tests such as parallel trend tests, placebo tests, and the exclusion of other policy effects. The BCP can increase house prices by improving urban infrastructure, promoting urbanization, and optimizing urban industrial structure. In addition, we conducted a heterogeneity analysis by taking into consideration the administrative level, economic development level, and location of cities. The findings of this paper not only enrich the research on the BCP and housing prices, they also provide policy recommendations in terms of urban land use and sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies)

18 pages, 1215 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Informatization Level, Technological Innovation and Urban Environmental Pollution: A Quasi-Natural Experiment Based on the Next-Generation Internet Demonstration City Policy

by Bo Li and Xiangmiao Xu

Land 2023, 12(5), 936; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050936 - 22 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1638

Abstract

This study uses the data of 280 Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2008 to 2019 as the research samples, and the DID (difference-in-difference) model to explore the negative impact of the Next-Generation Internet Demonstration City Policy (NGIDCP) on urban environmental pollution, and further analyzes the transmission mechanisms of informatization level and technological innovation in this influence. The results show that the NGIDCP can effectively reduce urban environmental pollution, and the conclusion still holds after various robustness tests. The informatization level and technological innovation have some mechanism effects on the impact of the NGIDCP on urban environmental pollution. The results of the regional heterogeneity test show that the negative impact of the NGIDCP on urban environmental pollution is significant in the eastern and western regions and has little effect on the central region. At the end of the paper, some recommendations on urban environmental pollution based on the conclusions drawn from the study are proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies)

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24 pages, 8269 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Multifaceted Street Art on Price Premium of Pre War Commercial Buildings: The Case of Georgetown UNESCO World Heritage Site

by Chin Tiong Cheng, Gabriel Hoh Teck Ling, Hon-Choong Chin and Pau Chung Leng

Land 2023, 12(3), 626; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030626 - 6 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2660

Abstract

Street art is promoted in most countries to intensify the cultural elements of the cityscape. Although street art provides cultural and social values, its impact on the prices of prewar historic property is still unknown. Therefore, an empirical study that examines the relationship between prewar shophouse prices and street art is needed to improve real estate professionals’ understanding of the historic preservation market. Using pre- and post-models for the years 2009 to 2019, this study systematically determined the actual location of 119 street art objects (in the form of sculptures and murals) and the 852 prewar shophouses sold in George Town, Penang. The price change of prewar shophouses correlates with the number of street art objects within 100 m, 500 m, and 1000 m of the properties. Due to the heterogeneous characteristics of the properties, six primary hedonic models were developed to extract the price premium of street art. This study has shown the impact of street art on a prewar commercial building, where an additional unit of sculpture could increase its price by 8.32%, 1.62%, and 0.74%, based on radii of 100 m, 500 m, and 1000 m, respectively, in the post-model (after 2012–2019). However, a mural painting has no significant effect on the price change of prewar shophouses. In addition, the position of street art (representing visibility) in the model was tested. The result shows that, unlike sculptures that were located at the back of prewar houses, such street art effects contributed positively to the price premium when they were located at the front of the buildings, with each additional unit of sculpture increasing the price premium of prewar houses by 1.13%. Sculptures as street art thus created a positive externality for the city, particularly with respect to the price premium for prewar shophouses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies)

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18 pages, 2608 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Combined Effects of Transportation Infrastructure on Regional Tourism Development in China Using a Spatial Econometric Model (GWPR)

by Pengxia Shen, Ping Yin and Bingjie Niu

Land 2023, 12(1), 216; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010216 - 9 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2589

Abstract

Transportation infrastructure plays an important role in tourism, and the spatial econometric model (GWPR) can offer quantitative support for regionalized development policies in transportation infrastructure. Panel data from 30 provinces were collected for a decade before the COVID-19 pandemic. We show that the GWPR model is a superior tool for assessing the combined impact of transportation infrastructure on tourism and its spatial heterogeneity. The effects of transportation infrastructure on tourism have historically been overwhelmingly positive, with the positive effect of high-speed rail expanding over the decade, while the positive effect of air travel contracted. The combined effects of transportation infrastructure vary across space and time. Additionally, the evolution of the effects exhibits spatial heterogeneity. The 30 provinces in this study are categorized into five types, and targeted implementation strategies for transportation infrastructure are formulated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies)

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16 pages, 1084 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Industrial Synergy on the Efficiency of Innovation Resource Allocation: Evidence from Chinese Metropolitan Areas

by Yi Ji, Hechang Cai and Zilong Wang

Land 2023, 12(1), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010177 - 5 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2143

Abstract

Chinese metropolitan areas suffer from isolated industrial development, obstructed factor flows, and imperfect cooperation mechanisms. Promoting inter-city industrial complementarity and the rational allocation of regional innovation factors is necessary for sustainable regional development. First, this paper uses a network data envelopment analysis model based on resource sharing and two-stage additional input to measure the efficiency of innovation resource allocation in 31 metropolitan areas in China between 2010 and 2019. Second, the Tobit model is used to explore the impact of industrial synergy in metropolitan areas on the efficiency of innovation resource allocation at different stages and to analyze regional heterogeneity. The results indicate that the efficiency of innovation resource allocation in China’s metropolitan areas shows a slowly increasing trend. The efficiency of the innovation resource development stage is lower than that of the economic transformation stage. Disparity in the efficiency of innovation resource allocation among metropolitan areas is significant, with those on the southeast coast being the most efficient. Industrial synergy in metropolitan areas has a significantly positive impact on the efficiency of innovation resource allocation. The positive impact is greater in the economic transformation phase than in the innovation resource development phase and has significant regional heterogeneity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Infrastructure Development, Land-Related Policy and Socio-Economic Impacts in Emerging Economies)

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