Spatial and temporal evolution of urban‐rural integrated development levels in Jiangsu Province, China

Abstract

AbstractThe issue of urban‐rural integrated development is a focus topic in China in academic and applied research. There is value in recognizing the formation of an urban‐rural dual structure and in finding the causes of regional differences. Because Jiangsu is the central province in the coastal areas of eastern China, urban‐rural integrated development in Jiangsu is an essential requirement for building a prosperous society and for ensuring the province's leadership role in accomplishing modernization. In this paper, the evaluation index system of Jiangsu province is assumed. The urban‐rural integrated development level in the study area is measured by exploratory spatial data analysis, Markov chain and the principal component analysis method. The measured value is classified into higher, high, medium and low ranks. Next, the evolutionary characteristics of spatial and temporal patterns and the driving mechanism are explored. Spatial distribution of the urban‐rural integrated development levels in Jiangsu province indicates that counties with higher levels are centred in southern Jiangsu and counties with high levels are located around the edge of higher level counties, signifying the spatial distribution of ‘core‐periphery’. The urban‐rural integrated development levels appear to decrease from south to north. Counties with similar development levels tend toward spatial agglomeration. During the study period, the urban‐rural integrated development levels of most counties improved to some degree. The directional distribution of polarization between areas with higher and low levels of development tends to diminish. Economic power, economic structure and information technology applications are the three major factors that exercise great influence over the spatial and temporal evolution of urban‐rural integrated development levels in Jiangsu province.