Market Demand and Service Innovation as System-Level Constraints in Digital Elderly Care Services: A Qualitative Study from the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region

Elucidating the performance of collaborative development within the Beijing Tianjin Hebei (BTH) region and developing an understanding of mechanisms underlying this process are of paramount importance to regional sustainable development as well as for the realization of Chinese national strategy. Thus, utilizing socioeconomic data for 13 districts within the BTH region between 2000 and 2014, this study applies the Gini coefficient alongside the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) method supported by the entropy weight model and impulse response functions in order to assess the performance of collaborative development in this region and elucidate underlying mechanisms. The results of this study reveal that collaborative development within the BTH region has tended to slowly increase over time, but with fluctuations. Although some progress has been made in promoting urbanization, constructing traffic networks, protecting the environment, and improving living standards, very significant expansion space nevertheless remains for further improvements. The collaborative development of this region has also been increasingly affected by globalization, with either the equalization of per capita fixed asset investment or fiscal expenditure exerting a definite impact. The results show that although the equalization of per capita fixed asset investment boosts collaborative development at the start of this process, it is likely to impede it over longer time scales, while the equalization of per capita fiscal expenditure will contribute to this process within the BTH region over both the short and long term. A number of policy suggestions are therefore proposed in this paper to promote smooth collaborative development of the BTH region, including optimizing investment structures and establishing an ecological compensation mechanism.

Distinct responses of PM2.5 and O3 extremes to persistence of weather conditions in eastern China

Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei is a key development zone in China, and the renewable energy industry is particularly concerned. This paper aims to combine spatial information with renewable energy industry to reveal the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics of industry and its driving factors. It is found that the industries in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei show an obvious agglomeration pattern, with the renewable energy industry in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region showing Moran’sI = 0.385579 during 2005–2010, Moran’sI = 0.319463 during 2010–2015, and Moran’sI = 0.329409 during 2015–2020. The global spatial autocorrelation analysis shows that the agglomeration level of the renewable energy industry in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region has not increased, but the local spatial autocorrelation shows that the areas with higher transportation and business levels tend to be significantly agglomerated in space. Through the Moran index, it is found that the industry in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei presents an obvious agglomeration pattern, and through the hotspot analysis, the industrial agglomeration is found mainly occurs in Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang and Zhangjiakou, which can be explained by the factor agglomeration effect brought by urbanization. However, we further calculated the location quotient, Herfindahl coefficient and Gini coefficient, and found significant regional differences in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. For example, the unipolar agglomeration effect was weakening. Further three-phase space ellipse more vividly reveals the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region of renewable energy industry in the past 20 years continued to form the benign industrial expansion. Starting from the capital Beijing, the industry moved southwest, driving the development of renewable energy industry in Hebei and Tianjin, and promoting the coordinated development of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei economic circle.

Urban agglomeration system resilience involves multiple subsystems that are interconnected and interactive, and exploring the relationships among subsystems can elucidate and increase urban agglomeration resilience. This study constructed a social-economic-built environment resilience model and proposed a social-economic-built environment resilience index system. Using the entropy weight method, the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model, GeoDetector, spatial autocorrelation analysis and the autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA) model, the resilience development level of the Beijing‒Tianjin‒Hebei (BTH) region from 2000 to 2020 was evaluated, the main influencing factors for the spatiotemporal differentiation pattern were identified, and the development levels in 2030 and 2050 were predicted. The results show that (1) high-resilience and high-CCD regions are concentrated in the region of Beijing and Tianjin in the centre, and low-value regions are concentrated in the districts and counties in the west and south; (2) economic elements, especially the economic aggregate status of a region as a whole, are the main factors contributing to the differences in resilience levels between regions, but their influence gradually decreases; and (3) the gap between the CCDs of Beijing, Tianjin and cities in Hebei increased from 2000 to 2020, but this gap is expected to narrow by 2030 and 2050. On this basis, five categories of future development guidelines for cities in the BTH region are proposed.

Extreme heat events are frequent in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region due to global warming and accelerated urbanization. While previous studies have analyzed the trend of extreme heat events in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region, the interdecadal changes of these events remain unclear. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the interdecadal temporal and spatial characteristics of summer extreme heat events in the BTH region using daily mean and maximum temperature datasets from 174 stations over the period 1979–2020. The results are shown as follows: (1) From 1979 to 2020, extreme heat events showed an overall upward trend in the BTH region. There were similarities in the changes in the extreme maximum temperature (TXx) and the number of high-temperature days (Htd) between different generations, and both were low until the mid-1990s. (2) In terms of the spatial pattern, TXx and Htd both showed the spatial distribution characteristics of being high in the south and low in the north. Extreme heat events in the BTH region were mainly concentrated in Beijing City, Tianjin City, and the eastern region of Hebei, and the TXx increase in most areas reached 1.5–2.0 °C. (3) The number of high-temperature days (Htd) increased significantly in the background of global warming, especially in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang Cities. (4) Extreme heat events in the BTH region mainly occurred in June and July, and the interdecadal changes showed a decreasing trend in June and an increasing trend in July. A high proportion of Htd was concentrated in Northern Hebei Province in July.

Definition and calculation of hierarchical ecological water requirement in areas with substantial human activity—A case study of the Beijing–Tianjin-Hebei region

It is crucial to investigate the characteristics of meteorological drought in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region to improve the accuracy of agriculture and water resource monitoring and management. In this study, using instrumental observation data from 85 meteorological stations in the BTH region during 1961–2023 derived from the National Meteorological Information Center, we first calculated the meteorological drought comprehensive index (MCI) and analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of the MCI. In the BTH region, the MCI intensity from May to June was the most severe in the intraseasonal variation. The trend of the decreasing drought intensity in May–June has occurred for the past 60 years. The southern region in the BTH region was more likely to experience droughts. Next, the spatial patterns of the top two EOF modes of the May–June MCI were depicted. The primary spatial pattern of the BTH, which was characterized by consistent changes in the MCI throughout the entire BTH region, could be represented by the first mode’s R2 of 69.01%. Then, we compared the spatial pattern of the MCI intensity under different return periods. Using the May–June MCI of 1961–2023, the drought intensity gradually increased from northwest to southeast for the 10-, 20-, and 50-year return periods. However, the drought intensity decreased and then increased from northwest to southeast based on the 1991–2023 MCI. Notably, a 20-year return period of severe drought affected Beijing and northern Hebei in 2023. Finally, we discussed the linkages of drought in the BTH region and atmospheric circulation/sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies, which were calculated using the Pearson correlation coefficient and wavelet coherence. We suggest that the MCI variations in the BTH region may be related to the SST anomalies of the Indian Ocean in 1961–1990 and the Pacific Ocean in 1991–2023, respectively. The abovementioned studies have enlightened us to focus on predicting the Pacific SST for drought, which will facilitate agricultural production and water resource management in the BTH region.

Air pollution episodes during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region of China: An insight into the transport pathways and source distribution

It is still necessary to regularly investigate the breakdown of socio-economic elements as a starting point for analyzing the effects of diverse human production activities on PM2.5 intensity from industrial and regional viewpoints. In this paper, the emission factor model was adopted to measure PM2.5 emissions in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region at the regional and industrial levels. The logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) decomposition model was employed to analyze the factors affecting PM2.5 emissions related to energy consumption in the BTH region at the regional and sectoral levels. Building on this foundation, a system dynamics (SD) model was established to make a prediction regarding PM2.5 pollution in the BTH region in 2025. This study found that secondary industry was a major source of PM2.5 emissions in the BTH region. Coal remained the main form of energy consumption in the BTH region. Secondly, the effect size of the factors affecting PM2.5 intensity ranked in the order of energy intensity, energy structure, and industrial structure. Thirdly, in 2025, PM2.5 emissions in the BTH region will decline appreciably, but there is still a certain gap in terms of meeting the targets of “the 14th Five-Year Plan” between the three provinces and cities. These results indicate that the BTH region should achieve the effective management of PM2.5 pollution at the source through the following initiatives: it is necessary to carry out the continuous adjustment of energy structures to gradually increase the proportion of clean energy; we must steadily promote the decline in energy intensity reduction, and gradually strengthen scientific and technological innovation; and we must continue to promote the optimization of the industrial structure and increase the proportion of tertiary industry every year.

Downward trend of NO2 in the urban areas of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from 2014 to 2020: Comparison of satellite retrievals, ground observations, and emission inventories

Heat waves harm human health and adversely impact the natural environment and society, especially in urban regions. Understanding the differences between heat waves in urban agglomerations and their driving mechanisms is essential for sustainable development. In this study, we investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of summertime heat waves and their association with sea surface temperature modes in two of China's most densely populated urban areas: the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) and the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB). The results indicate an increase in the frequency of heat waves for BTH and YREB by 0.02 times a−1 and 0.1 times a−1 and duration by 0.09d a−1 and 0.48d a−1, respectively. Regarding spatial distribution, the duration and frequency of BTH heat waves gradually decreased from northeast to southwest. In contrast, the heat waves in YREB were concentrated in the upper and parts of the lower reaches. The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation significantly influences heat waves in both the BTH and YREB regions. Nevertheless, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Indian Ocean Basin‐Wide Index, and Cold‐tongue ENSO Index primarily impact heat waves in the YREB region, with limited influence observed in the BTH region. This study provides a scientific basis for accurately identifying heat waves and understanding their changes, assisting decision‐makers in formulating mitigation, adaptation strategies, and disaster prevention policies related to heat‐induced consequences.

Résumé Après une longue phase de méconnaissance et de sous-estimation, la question de l’innovation dans les services est désormais prise au sérieux dans la théorie économique, comme dans les politiques publiques. Tel n’est pas encore toujours le cas de l’innovation dans les services publics. L’objectif de cet article est de proposer une relecture de la littérature sur l’innovation dans les services à la lumière des services publics. En nous appuyant sur la grille assimilation, démarcation, inversion et intégration souvent mobilisée pour rendre compte de l’innovation dans les services marchands, nous réexaminons la manière dont les principaux travaux réalisés durant deux décennies de recherche sur l’innovation dans les services prennent explicitement en compte - ou peuvent être extrapolés pour prendre en compte - l’innovation dans les services publics. Nous cherchons également à identifier les lacunes de cette littérature et à tracer des pistes de recherche et d’action.

In the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration—one of China’s three largest city clusters, the GDP reached CNY 950 billion with a population of approximately 110 million in 2021. While megacity expansion has slowed, rapid growth in small and medium-sized cities is expected to increase their vulnerability to urban heat island (UHI) effects. This necessitates urgent, size-differentiated studies of the UHI to inform sustainable urban planning. This study examines the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration using Landsat 8 data to explore the UHI between different-sized cities and analyze the driving mechanisms of UHI intensity attributed to urban buildings. The results indicate the following: (1) Beijing displays the smallest temperature change (1.39 °C) and lower heating effect intensity (484.44 km2 °C) compared to Shijiazhuang (919.11 km2 °C); (2) a logarithmic relationship (R2 = 0.4261) exists between the building volume and heating effect intensity, and the specificity of megacities significantly influences the regional analysis results of the heat island effect; and (3) the total energy consumption power of the heating effect in 10 cities within the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region is 326.23 × 1012 KJ/h, which is equivalent to 11.14 × 109 kg/h of standard coal.

Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei coordinated development is a major national strategy of China. This study first analyzes the evolution process of energy production, consumption, and structure proportion in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, indicating that the overall energy supply in this region is less than consumption; although the region is rich in renewable energy resources, its energy consumption is mainly fossil energies and the overall energy efficiency requires further improvement. Since the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei coordinated development strategy was proposed six years ago, the ecological environment in this region has continuously improved, but the situation remains grim. As energy is the power source and blood of economic and social development and it is also closely related to the environment, the promotion of energy revolution becomes imperative. To promote energy revolution within the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, energy efficiency should be further improved to control the total amount of energy consumption; the energy supply structure should be optimized to provide a solid material foundation for the coordinated development; the energy technology revolution should be promoted to create a new driving force for economic growth; the existing energy system should be revolutionized to improve the market environment for economic and social development; and the rural energy revolution should be accelerated to strengthen the prevention of point source pollution in rural areas.

Achieving the equalization of public services is one of the main goals of regional highquality development at this stage. It plays an important guiding role in optimizing the spatial pattern of a metropolis. Taking Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei as the research area, this paper used hotspot analysis, spatial measurement, and other methods to conduct quantitative analysis and empirical research based on POI data, census data, etc., to identify regional public service centers and population distribution centers, and compared and matched them. This study built public service evaluation indicators, comprehensively evaluated the public service level of each district and county in the region, established a spatial error model, and empirically analyzed the differences in the comprehensive public service level of 200 districts and counties in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. The results show that there is a certain degree of mismatch between the comprehensive hotspots of density of public service facilities and the hotspots of permanent populations in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. The spatial differentiation of the comprehensive level of public services is obvious, showing the characteristics of “high, middle, and low in the north” and “high in the core urban area and low in other districts and counties”. Government policies, economic development level, and the level of urbanization have a significant positive effect on the public service level. The article also discussed the policy implications of the conclusions, as well as corresponding countermeasures and suggestions.