Search Results (6)

The concept of high-quality development (HQD) is characterized by its emphasis on efficiency, equity, and environmental sustainability. In the context of China’s new urbanization development, the metropolitan area plays a crucial role in facilitating and sustaining HQD. This study focuses on the Changchun Metropolitan Area (CCMA) as a case study to measure the efficiency of high-quality development (HQDE) at the county level using the super-efficiency SBM model and spatial autocorrelation model. Additionally, we examine the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of HQDE in terms of economy, innovation, coordination, greenness, openness, and sharing (EICGOS). The main findings are as follows: (1) The HQDE of the CCMA ranges from 0.7 to 0.8 with an initial rapid increase followed by a gradual decline; however, there are notable variations among different counties. (2) Regarding spatial structure within the metropolitan area, highest efficiency is observed in the half-hour living circle followed by the 2-h accessibility circle while lowest efficiency is found in the 1-h commuting circle. Over time, there is a declining trend in efficiency within core leading areas. (3) In terms of dimensions, CCMA demonstrates the highest level of economic development efficiency (EDE), whereas green development efficiency (GDE) exhibits lower levels compared to other dimensions. Furthermore, development efficiencies across all dimensions show a decline over time. (4) Spatially distributed patterns reveal significant agglomeration areas for HQDE within the CCMA region. High-high agglomeration areas are predominantly concentrated in the central region of Changchun and southern region of Liaoyuan while low-low agglomeration areas primarily exist in northwest Songyuan and specific counties within Changchun. To attain HQD of the CCMA, it is advisable to bolster the economic scale of the central city, mitigate developmental disparities between counties and cities, and expedite green transformations in old industrial cities. These findings offer a valuable point of reference for optimizing resource allocation at the metropolitan level and devising strategies to foster regional HQD. Full article

Regional economic efficiency and resilience are necessary conditions for sustainable regional economic development, and urban agglomerations are the core carriers of regional economic development. Exploring the synergistic patterns between economic efficiency and economic resilience is crucial to the sustainable economic growth and development of urban agglomerations and their surrounding regions. To measure the economic efficiency, economic resilience, and synergistic capacity of the Harbin–Changchun urban agglomeration from 2010 to 2019, the super-efficient SBM model, the entropy-TOPSIS model, and the Haken model are used. The economic efficiency of the Harbin–Changchun urban agglomeration shows a mild upward trend between 2010 and 2019, while its economic resilience shows a more stable upward trend. A distinct phased pattern of synergies exists between economic efficiency and economic resilience. In terms of the time trend, a “down-up-down” pattern emerges, while in terms of the spatial pattern, a dumbbell-shaped structure appears with “highs at the north and south and lows in the middle.” Combined synergy values are highest in the north and south of Qiqihar, Jilin, Siping, Liaoyuan, and Mudanjiang, followed by Harbin and Changchun; the values are lowest in the middle of Suihua, Daqing, and Songyuan. This study also proposes strategies to weaken inter-regional differentiation and to increase economic efficiency and economic resilience across cities in accordance with the actual situation. Full article

Forest landscape multifunctionality (FLM) provides multiple benefits, such as climate regulation, water storage, and biodiversity maintenance. However, the external factors limiting FLM have not been fully identified, although addressing them could contribute to sustainable development. The present study aimed to identify and quantify the role of urbanization as an external factor that affects FLM. To this end, impervious area changes in Liaoyuan, China, were observed from 2000 to 2018, and 10 buffer zones at 500 m intervals were established outside the city. Within each buffer zone, we analyzed changes in forest landscape functions, including habitat maintenance, carbon sequestration, and water yield, as well as changes in the multifunctionality of their composition. The urbanization of Liaoyuan was significant in 2000–2018. The functions of the forest landscape became stronger and more stable as they were located further away from the urban edge. We refer to this pattern as the gradient effect of urbanization. Specifically, urbanization affected the investigated functions at a distance of 1000–2500 m. The FLM showed a more significant gradient effect of urbanization. The impact distance of urbanization on the FLM increased from 3000 m in 2000 to over 5000 m in 2018. This impact distance increased significantly whenever urbanization strengthened significantly (i.e., in 2005–2010 and 2015–2018). These findings are instructive for forest and urban managers working to achieve multiple Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

Water shortage, water pollution, shrinking water area and water mobility are the main contents of the water resources crisis, which are widespread in the social and economic development of Jilin Province. In this paper, a three-stage hybrid model integrating evaluation, prediction and regulation is constructed by combining the load-balance method and the system dynamics method. Using this model, the current states of water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) in 2017 and the trend of water demand/available from 2018 to 2030 were obtained. Using the orthogonal test method, the optimal combination program of agricultural and industrial water efficiency regulation and water resources allocation was selected. The results show that the pressure of the human–water resources system in Changchun, Liaoyuan and Baicheng is greater than the support, and the other six cities are not overloaded. The water demand in Jilin Province and its nine cities will increase from 2018 to 2030, if the current socio-economic development pattern is maintained. Therefore, we change the water quantity carrying capacity index by controlling agriculture, industrial water efficiency and trans-regional water transfer. Compared with 2015, among the optimal program obtained, the change range of the water use per 10,000 RMB of agricultural output is (−5%, 25%), and the water use per 10,000 RMB of industrial added value is (−45%, −35%), and the maximum water transfer is 1.5 billion m³ per year in 2030. This study analyzes the development pattern of WRCC in the process of water conservancy modernization in Jilin Province and provides reference for other provinces to make the similar plan. Full article

Resource-based cities face unique challenges when undergoing urban transitions because their non-renewable resources will eventually be exhausted. In this article, we introduce a new method of evaluating the urban transition performance of resource-based cities from economic, social and eco-environmental perspectives. A total of 19 resource-based cities in Northeast China are studied from 2003 to 2012. The results show that resource-based cities in Jilin and Liaoning provinces performed better than those in Heilongjiang province. Liaoyuan, Songyuan and Baishan were ranked as the top three resource-based cities; and Jixi, Yichun and Heihe were ranked last. Multi-resource and petroleum resource-based cities performed better than coal and forestry resource-based cities. We also analyzed the factors influencing urban transition performance using the method of the geographic detector. We found that capital input, road density and location advantage had the greatest effects on urban transition performance, followed by urban scale, remaining resources and the level of sustainable development; supporting policies and labor input had the smallest effects. Based on these insights, we have formulated several recommendations to facilitate urban transitions in China’s resource-based cities. Full article

Landscape ecological risk assessment can effectively identify key elements for landscape sustainability, which directly improves human wellbeing. However, previous research has tended to apply risk probability, measured by overlaying landscape metrics to evaluate risk, generally lacking a quantitative assessment of loss and uncertainty of risk. This study, taking Liaoyuan City as a case area, explores landscape ecological risk assessment associated with mining cities, based on probability of risk and potential ecological loss. The assessment results show landscape ecological risk is lower in highly urbanized areas than those rural areas, suggesting that not only cities but also natural and semi-natural areas contribute to overall landscape-scale ecological risk. Our comparison of potential ecological risk in 58 watersheds in the region shows that ecological loss are moderate or high in the 10 high-risk watersheds. The 35 moderate-risk watersheds contain a large proportion of farmland, and the 13 low-risk watersheds are mainly distributed in flat terrain areas. Our uncertainty analyses result in a close range between simulated and calculated values, suggesting that our model is generally applicable. Our analysis has good potential in the fields of resource development, landscape planning and ecological restoration, and provides a quantitative method for achieving landscape sustainability in a mining city. Full article