Cities Of Different Sizes Research Articles

Unbound hukou and rebound innovation in urban China

The Chinese authorities issued the “Guiding Opinions on Further Deepening the Reform of the Household Registration System” in 2014. This policy maintained strict controls on urban hukou in megacities, while slightly less stringent controls were applied in large cities. However, the restrictions on obtaining urban hukou were significantly relaxed in medium-sized cities and completely lifted in small cities. This study examines the causal effects and underlying mechanisms of hukou reform on urban innovation in cities of different sizes, using DID method based on a quasi-natural experiment by the 2014 hukou reform in China. The findings suggest that the hukou reform can significantly promote urban innovation, with particularly strong positive effects observed in large cities in the eastern region, small- and medium-sized cities in the central and western regions, as well as cities with favourable conditions for innovation. The primary mechanisms in which hukou reform influences urban innovation involve enhancing both the quantity and quality of urban labor force, as well as creating a better environment for innovation in cities.

A machine learning algorithm to explore the drivers of carbon emissions in Chinese cities

As the world’s largest energy consumer and carbon emitter, the task of carbon emission reduction is imminent. In order to realize the dual-carbon goal at an early date, it is necessary to study the key factors affecting China’s carbon emissions and their non-linear relationships. This paper compares the performance of six machine learning algorithms to that of traditional econometric models in predicting carbon emissions in China from 2011 to 2020 using panel data from 254 cities in China. Specifically, it analyzes the comparative importance of domestic economic, external economic, and policy uncertainty factors as well as the nonparametric relationship between these factors and carbon emissions based on the Extra-trees model. Results show that energy consumption (ENC) remains the root cause of increased carbon emissions among domestic economic factors, although government intervention (GOV) and digital finance (DIG) can significantly reduce it. Next, among the external economic and policy uncertainty factors, foreign direct investment (FDI) and economic policy uncertainty (EPU) are important factors influencing carbon emissions, and the partial dependence plots (PDPs) confirm the pollution haven hypothesis and also reveal the role of EPU in reducing carbon emissions. The heterogeneity of factors affecting carbon emissions is also analyzed under different city sizes, and it is found that ENC is a common driving factor in cities of different sizes, but there are some differences. Finally, appropriate policy recommendations are proposed by us to help China move rapidly towards a green and sustainable development path.

Intention to adopt autonomous vehicles in China: a comparative study among residents in different-sized cities

ABSTRACT Transitioning to a fully Level-5 autonomous vehicle (AV) environment presents numerous challenges, notably influenced by public adoption intention. Previous studies have shown limitations in scope, population, and methodology. This study expands the Technology Acceptance Model to investigate AVs adoption intention across various city sizes in China. Through surveys in China, 2,662 responses were gathered in 2021 from mega, large, and small-to-medium cities. Using Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes models, the study examines influencing factors on AVs adoption intention and population heterogeneities. Key findings emphasize the importance of adoption attitude, information provision, and perceived AV usefulness. Additionally, the impact of financial incentives, convenience, and several other factors varies across city sizes. The insights gained from the study can be utilized to develop more cost-effective policies and strategies tailored to different subgroups of the population to fully utilize the potential benefits of AVs while minimizing unintended consequences across diverse urban settings.

Understanding the drivers of PM2.5 concentrations in Chinese cities: A comprehensive study of anthropogenic and environmental factors

Understanding the factors that drive PM2.5 concentrations in cities with varying population and land areas is crucial for promoting sustainable urban population health. This knowledge is particularly important for countries where air pollution is a significant challenge. Most existing studies have investigated either anthropogenic or environmental factors in isolation, often in limited geographic contexts; however, this study fills this knowledge gap. We employed a multimethodological approach, using both multiple linear regression models and geographically weighted regression (GWR), to assess the combined and individual effects of these factors across different cities in China. The variables considered were urban built-up area, land consumption rate (LCR), population size, population growth rate (PGR), longitude, and latitude. Compared with other studies, this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of PM2.5 drivers. The findings of this study showed that PGR and population size are key factors affecting PM2.5 concentrations in smaller cities. In addition, the extent of urban built-up areas exerts significant influence in medium and large cities. Latitude was found to be a positive predictor for PM2.5 concentrations across all city sizes. Interestingly, the northeast, south, and southwest regions demonstrated lower PM2.5 levels than the central, east, north, and northwest regions. The GWR model underscored the importance of considering spatial heterogeneity in policy interventions. However, this research is not without limitations. For instance, international pollution transfers were not considered. Despite the limitation, this study advances the existing literature by providing an understanding of how both anthropogenic and environmental factors, in conjunction with city scale, shape PM2.5 concentrations. This integrated approach offers invaluable insights for tailoring more effective air pollution management strategies across cities of different sizes and characteristics.

Research on Economic Resilience Assessment and Improvement Strategies for Small and Medium-sized Cities and Specific Regions

In recent years, economic resilience has attracted much attention as an important concept in responding to external shocks. However, there are relatively few studies on the economic resilience of cities of different sizes, especially small and medium-sized cities and specific regions. This study analyzes the economic resilience of small and medium-sized cities and specific regions, explores the concept, influencing factors, and evaluation methods, and analyzed previous studies. Through the analysis of previous studies, this article discusses in detail the research results on the economic resilience of mega-cities, sub-provincial cities, and Northeast China, including data selection, method use, research results, and conclusions of related studies. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the economic resilience of small and medium-sized cities and specific regions and formulates corresponding improvement strategies. The research results on the economic resilience of megacities, sub-provincial cities, and the Northeast region provide important reference and guidance for policymakers in this field, and provide a basis for improving economic resilience and formulating urban development strategies.

Green spaces contribute to structural resilience of the gut microbiota in urban mammals

The gut microbiome of wild animals is subject to various environmental influences, including those associated with human-induced alterations to the environment. We investigated how the gut microbiota of a synurbic rodent species, the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), change in cities of varying sizes, seeking the urban microbiota signature for this species. Fecal samples for analysis were collected from animals living in non-urbanized areas and green spaces of different-sized cities (Poland). Metagenomic 16S rRNA gene sequencing and further bioinformatics analyses were conducted. Significant differences in the composition of gut microbiomes among the studied populations were found. However, the observed changes were dependent on local habitat conditions, without strong evidence of a correlation with the size of the urbanized area. The results suggest that ecological detachment from a more natural, non-urban environment does not automatically lead to the development of an “urban microbiome” model in the studied rodent. The exposure to the natural environment in green spaces may serve as a catalyst for microbiome transformations, providing a previously underestimated contribution to the maintenance of native gut microbial communities in urban mammals.

Digital Economy Mechanisms and Tests for Promoting Common Wealth

This paper focuses on the two development strategies of digital economy and common wealth, explores the effect, mechanism and spatial spillover effect of digital economy on common wealth, and further examines the heterogeneity of cities of different sizes and locations. The study finds that the digital economy can increase the level of common prosperity development by 37.1%, and effectively reduce the ratio of urban and rural per capita disposable income, and positively affect the level of common prosperity development in neighboring areas through spatial spillover effects. The mechanism test shows that public management, human capital, R&D and innovation play a significant positive mediating role in the development process of the digital economy affecting the common wealth. The study also confirms that the impact of the digital economy on shared prosperity decreases with the expansion of urban population size, and plays a greater advantage in the location of non-core cities.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of urban sprawl in China from 2000 to 2020

ABSTRACT Accurately and timely quantifying the dynamics of urban sprawl is essential for improving land use efficiency and land use planning. However, existing research mainly focused on the sprawl of a single city or urban agglomerations in China, while national scale studies mainly used short-term remote sensing data to quantify urban sprawl. Therefore, we still lack a long term and most up-to-date understanding of urban sprawl in China, especially in different regions, cities of different sizes. Here, we quantified the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban sprawl using urban sprawl index (USI) based on the latest population census, and analyzed its driving force in China during 2000 ~ 2020 using the optimal parameters-based geographical detector. The results showed that in the past two decades, Chinese cities were still experiencing urban sprawl, with an average USI of 3.04, indicating that the average annual growth rate of urban lands was 3.04% higher than that of the urban population. Overall, the sprawl showed a slowdown, with the USI dropping from 3.55 in 2000 ~ 2010 to 2.53 in 2010 ~ 2020. Among regions, urban sprawl was more severe in the western region, where the USI was 5.33 during 2000 ~ 2020 and 89.3% of the cities exceeded the national average sprawl speed. Recently, the driving force of transportation on urban sprawl substantially increased. In the future, the Territorial Spatial Planning should pay attention to confining excessive sprawl of small- and medium-sized cities in the western region of China.

Characteristics of surface urban heat islands in global cities of different scales: Trends and drivers

Given the increasing severity of the surface urban heat island (SUHI) phenomenon, urban residents face heightened heat stress. Consequently, mitigating the effects of SUHI becomes critically important to improve urban livability. Previous studies often overlooked the influence of city size on SUHI, focusing on the correlational between SUHI and drivers and sidelining the synergistic effects of multiple factors on SUHI. To address this issue, we introduced a novel method, “geographical convergent cross-mapping”, coupled with the random forest and Shapley value theory. Our results indicated that: Globally, SUHI exhibited a decreasing trend during day and night, with significant spatiotemporal disparities, and in cities of varying sizes, the cooling capacity of vegetation for SUHI showed significant variation. Locally, in arid cities spanning 150–200 km², vegetation contributed to cooling SUHI by up to 61 %, but this effect lessened in larger cities. Notably, in equatorial cities larger than 200 km², this capability dropped drastically during summer, from 49 % to 7 %. Long-term trends showed an increase in daytime SUHI in equatorial regions and large cities along the southeastern coasts of China and the United States. This study provides key insights for precise urban climate adaptation and sustainable planning in cities of different sizes.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Transformation Regulation Strategies of Rural Residential Land on the Grand Canal (China)

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Transformation Regulation Strategies of Rural Residential Land on the Grand Canal (China)

SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance in the Czech Republic: Spatial and temporal differences in SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations and relationship to clinical data and wastewater parameters

This study presents the results of systematic wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and basic wastewater parameters from four different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Czech Republic over the 2020–2022 epidemic. Two-step reverse-transcription quantitative PCR targeting genes encoding the N and Nsp12 proteins was employed to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA loading in 420 wastewater samples. The results obtained were used to evaluate the potential of wastewater analysis for describing the epidemiological situation in cities of different sizes and determining temporal differences based on the prevailing SARS-CoV-2 variant. Strong correlations between the number of active and hospitalised COVID‐19 cases in each WWTP catchment area and the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected in the wastewater clearly demonstrated the suitability of this wastewater-based epidemiological approach for WWTPs of different sizes and characteristics, despite differences in SARS-CoV-2 variant waves, with some WWTPs showing high predictive potential. This study demonstrated on the data from the Czech Republic that targeted systematic monitoring of wastewater provides sufficiently robust data for surveillance of viral loads in sample populations, and thus contributes to preventing the spread of infection and subsequent introduction of appropriate measures.

Associations between environmental perception and self-rated health in the city hierarchy of China: Findings from a national cross-sectional survey

Identifying environmental determinants of health and clarifying their variations is crucial for health promotion in different cities by providing tailored intervention strategies. Although the association between perceived urban environment and health (e.g., self-rated health) has been repeatedly explored, most studies have focused on cities of a specific size, and it is still unknown whether either significant environment variables or the magnitude of the association would vary across different-sized cities. This study investigated how perceived urban environment variables significantly associated with individuals’ self-rated health varied from small cities to mega cities in China, based on a national survey including 5963 valid respondents. The results showed that the relationship between self-rated health and city size was U-shaped, with respondents in medium and large cities reporting a low-level self-rated health. Perceived greenness, public facilities, housing supply, and medical services were positively and significantly associated with self-rated health, with the odds ratio (OR) of 1.37 (95%CI: 1.29–1.46), 1.27 (95%CI: 1.19–1.35), 1.14 (95%CI: 1.09–1.20), and 1.17 (95%CI: 1.10–1.24), respectively. Furthermore, the magnitude of the association was significantly larger in mega cities. These findings provide useful evidence for promoting public health in cities of different sizes for achieving health equity and indicate that smaller cities and their health-supportive environment need further attention.

Socially sustainable transport in the context of different-sized cities in China:Conceptualisation and operationalisation of equity

China has witnessed a significant imbalance in socio-economic development across the country with its rapid urbanisation. As an important dimension of achieving sustainable transportation, increasing attention has been given to transport equity. However, most of the current urban transport equity research in China are empirical studies utilising definitions and measurements of equity largely originating from developed Western countries. Due to China's unique social institutions, conventions and development conditions, Western transport equity theories may not be fully applicable for guiding transport practices in China. This research, therefore, develops a conceptual framework of transport equity suitable for China's socio-economic conditions, grounded on a critical review of transport equity literature from both China and Western countries, and wider equity theories combined with literature on Chinese traditional culture and political institutions. A discourse analysis of transport planning and appraisal documents along with semi-structured interviews with Chinese transport practitioners are introduced to ensure the conceptual framework can be operationalised for guiding transport practices in different-sized Chinese cities. As well as identifying the range of benefits and burdens to be distributed, and clarifying which disadvantaged groups to focus on, we found the proper distributional principle for transport equity should be maximising the development prospects of disadvantaged groups, while for some cities with limited capability and resources, the principle of ensuring a baseline for every citizen to meet their basic needs is more practical.

Assessing urban green infrastructure: A simple and practical measure of its spatial distribution equity and a comprehensive evaluation

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) that provides diverse ecosystem services are crucial components of a city. Achieving appropriate density and equitable distribution of UGI is highly significant for urban planning to ensure sustainable and high-quality development. However, there is still a lack of an applied method for effectively measuring spatial equity of UGI in cities with multiple scales, which impairs the ability to regularly monitor it. Furthermore, the extent to which UGI should be implemented in urban planning in China is still uncertain. In this study, a “Structure-Function-Zoning“ analysis framework for the spatial pattern of UGI is proposed. A monitoring index system in terms of the structure and functions of UGI is first established. Then, an approach for measurement of spatial distribution equity of UGI is developed based on a spatial zoning strategy along the urban expansion axis. And a weighted index is proposed for comprehensive evaluation of UGI pattern. Using three Chinese cities (i.e., Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang) as examples, our research shows that the UGI pattern of Tianjin is distributed more balanced from urban center to suburb among the cities and Shijiazhuang shows relatively poor spatial equity of UGI. In terms of comprehensive evaluation of UGI pattern, Beijing and Tianjin are both rated as “moderate” while Beijing was slightly better than Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang was rated as “relatively poor”. The proposed analysis framework is designed to access the structure and function of UGI in a way that can be spatially differentiated, easily described, and clearly compared for cities of different sizes. More broadly, the comprehensive index adopted in the study can be regarded as a simple and practical tool to perform regular monitoring and provide early warning for UGI planning in urban renewal process.

Planning, Manufacturing, and Sustainability: Three Research Themes

This thematic issue explores the role that revived emplacements of manufacturing and “blue-collar” work play in the search for more effective models of urban sustainability, drawing on intriguing developments in different cities of different sizes in different Western societies—the UK, Germany, Switzerland, the USA, and Australia. Rather than see industry as a “problem” for green city strategies, our point of departure considers what role manufacturing and “blue-collar” work can (and do) play in the search for more effective models of urban sustainability. The articles included here deploy a range of research methodologies, albeit with a predominant emphasis on qualitative case studies, to raise key challenges for urban and regional industrial planning. This editorial provides some overarching context and commentary on the topic and specifically discusses three synoptic themes that emerged most prominently from the collection of articles: the difficulty (and importance) of identifying and illustrating the practical sustainability benefits of local manufacturing; the complexity of advancing “conspicuous production” in the urban context; and the need to broaden industrial politics and planning in order to better utilize existing industrial spaces and enhance the role of production in the city. These themes help to capture emerging trends and challenges in the field while providing foundations for future research.

Development of micromodels of traffic flows, taking into account environmental factors

The article considers an actual problem of organizing a safe and sustainable urban transport system. We have examined the existing positive global experience in both infrastructural and managerial decisions. Then to assess possible solutions at the stage of infrastructure design, we have developed the simulation micromodels of transport network sections of the medium-sized city (Naberezhnye Chelny) with a rectangular building type. The models make it possible to determine the optimal parameters of the traffic flow, under which pollutant emissions from cars would not lead to high concentrations of pollutants. Also, the model allows to obtain the calculated values of the volume of emissions of pollutants and the parameters of the traffic flow (speed, time of passage of the section, etc.). On specific examples, the proposed method’s effectiveness is shown. Case studies of cities of different sizes and layouts are implementation examples and possible uses proposed by the models. This study has shown the rationality of the suggested solution at the stage of assessing infrastructure projects and choosing the best option for sustainable transport development. The proposed research method is universal and can be applied in any city.

Morphological changes in hooded crows (Corvus cornix) related to urbanization

IntroductionUrbanization has led to a recent surge of interest in urban biodiversity, and wildlife responses to urban environments have become a hot topic in environmental sciences and biodiversity conservation. However, adaptations to urbanization and the factors driving them are less understood.MethodologyWe studied possible morphological adaptations to urban environments by comparing body size and condition of adult and post-fledging juvenile Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix), a bird species that has recently colonised cities in eastern Europe, between two urban and two rural populations, between two different-sized cities and between locations within one city in Hungary.ResultsAdult crows from the rural cropland-woodland area were lighter and in poorer condition than crows from the rural grassland area or those from the medium-sized city. There were no differences in morphological traits of adults or juveniles between the large and the medium-sized cities. The comparison of multiple trapping locations within the city of Debrecen showed that juveniles in the Zoo area were larger, heavier, and in better condition than individuals in the other locations and that adults in the Zoo had longer wings and tarsi than adults in other locations. Our results indicated that urbanized Hooded Crows showed some morphological changes to live in urban environments, but we did not find large-scale, consistent differences between urban and rural areas. However, we found significant variation within one city.DiscussionOur results suggest that urban-rural environmental differences may be mediated by local factors, of which the year-round availability of anthropogenic food is fundamental. Such food is widely available in cities, although its quality may be suboptimal for bird development. Our study suggests that the variation in body size variables is probably more site-dependent than gradient-dependent and shows that documenting wildlife adaptations to urban environments requires multiple spatial scales ranging from regional to local (within-city) scales.

Does healthy city construction facilitate green growth in China? Evidence from 279 cities.

In the face of the challenge of balancing urban economic development and environmental protection, the concept of a healthy city has emerged as a promising model for sustainable urban development. This study empirically investigates the impact of healthy city construction on green growth by utilizing a difference-in-difference model estimation on a panel dataset of 279 Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2007 to 2019. The findings reveal that healthy city construction significantly contributes to green growth, particularly in pilot cities, and this effect is observed across cities of different sizes and economic bases. Additionally, we identify two channels through which healthy city construction promotes green growth: enhancing innovation capacity and enriching human resources. These findings have implications not only for Chinese cities navigating the path towards green growth but also for other developing nations striving for economic transformation and environmentally sustainable development.

Health Care Utilization in Russia: Public Health Survey Findings

Introduction: Different groups of population vary in whether and how often they seek help from health care providers. Determination of such intergroup differences in health care utilization contributes to identification of disparities in access to care. Andersen’s model of health care utilization (commonly used for exploring patients’ behaviors) was chosen as the theoretical basis for this study. Objective: To identify groups of individuals who are more likely to seek medical attention in Russia and to establish differences in their preference between public and private health care providers. Materials and methods: Statistical regression analysis was applied to public health survey data collected in 2022. The sample of 2,150 respondents was representative for the adult population of Russia. Results: Every four out of five respondents sought medical help (79.0 %) in the previous year. Two third of them reported going to a private provider at least once (65.3 %) over the previous year. Being female, younger, married, with higher education, employed, having monthly incomes over 20 thousand rubles, rating their own health as bad were associated with being more likely to seek medical assistance. The first four characteristics of the respondents listed above and belonging to the highest income group (earning more than 60 thousand rubles monthly) were also found to be associated with higher probability of utilizing paid services. Conclusions: This study revealed no differences in access to care between the respondents living in cities of different sizes; rather, such differences were associated with the employment status and income of the participants.

A different perspective towards urban planning based on GIS and VGI techniques

Urban planning is considered one of the most critical topics in the design and development strategies of cities. There are a vast number of urban planning rule sets that focus on dominating the geometrical perspective over other approaches when it comes to planning decisions. In this paper, a different point of view towards urban planning is suggested, concentrating on the topological analysis and relations between city elements. The streets of cities are chosen to reflect this topological relation and to investigate the topological relations to the limits; six different-sized cities were selected for analysis: three large cities and three relatively small ones. The results of the study uncovered the hierarchical pattern underlying the street structure of cities; analyses showed that street networks in large cities have a higher degree of hierarchical level than in relatively small cities. Urban planners can benefit from the results of the analyses in this study to make better planning decisions in large or small cities. The paper provides analysis results towards achieving the optimum goals of urban planning to make cities more living and more efficient.