Core City Research Articles

Modeling on comprehensive evaluation of groundwater quality status using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Water Quality Index (WQI): a case study of Bahir Dar City, Amhara, Ethiopia

Abstract Groundwater is the most important natural resource, and many people throughout the world rely on it for drinking, particularly in rural areas. The present study was carried out to assess the status of groundwater quality and to check its suitability for domestic purposes in urban centres of Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. Twelve shallow wells were selected for sampling. The sampled water was taken during the dry and summer seasons of the year 2019/2020. pH, turbidity, EC, TDS, chloride (Cl−), nitrate (NO3−), phosphate (PO4−3), total hardness, and Escherichia coli were measured for the suitability analysis. Comparison of measured results with those of WHO and Ethiopian drinking water quality standards was done. Moreover, Geographic Information System (GIS) and Water Quality Index (WQI) data analysis techniques were applied in order to investigate the groundwater quality. The spatial distribution map showed that the city's core area had the poorest groundwater quality status. The WQI result obtained from the analysis showed that 41.67, 33.33, and 25% of the sampled groundwater has low, extremely poor, and unsafe quality for drinking purposes, respectively. The present study revealed that anthropogenic activities have a great impact on the quality of groundwater in the area, necessitating immediate mitigating actions.

Evaluating the synergistic effects of digital economy and government governance on urban low-carbon transition

Under the vision of the “dual carbon” targets, the digital economy and government governance have emerged as pivotal means for urban low-carbon transition. This study, based on theoretical analysis, utilizes panel data from 253 Chinese cities spanning 2011 to 2019 to investigate the relationship between the digital economy, government governance, and urban low-carbon transition. The findings demonstrate that: (1) The digital economy not only directly contributes to low-carbon transition but also exerts an indirect influence through enhancing labor productivity, accelerating green technological innovation, and upgrading industrial structures; (2) Significantly, government governance can synergize with the digital economy to propel urban low-carbon transition, this synergistic effect can be achieved through mechanisms related to green technological innovation and industrial upgrading; (3) Overall, the moderating effect of governance effectiveness is more significant than governance capability; (4) Analysis of heterogeneity reveals that first-tier cities, core cities, and cities in the central and western regions exhibit more efficient low-carbon transitions. These findings offer valuable theoretical insights and practical guidance for advancing urban low-carbon development and shaping relevant policy decisions.

Disposal of the Dead in Recently Abandoned Settlement Areas — an Evidence of the Siege of Olbia Pontica by Zopyrion?

The present contribution focuses on extraordinary features with human remains of the 4th century BC which have been discovered to the west of the core city area of Olbia Pontica. There are numerous multiple burials within former settlement structures. The deceased were put in them without any grave goods, mainly in irregular positions and in some cases with obvious traces of external violence. Based on the archaeological finding, which is presented here for the first time exhaustively, we review the suggestion of previous research: a possible connection of these features with human remains with the siege of the city by the Macedonian general Zopyrion, which has been recorded in literature.

Spatial Patterns and the Evolution of Logistics Service Node Facilities in Large Cities—A Case from Wuhan

Logistics services are integral to urban economic activity, and delving into the spatial distribution traits and evolutionary pathways of various kinds of logistics service node facilities (LSNF) is markedly valuable for understanding a city’s functional spatial makeup and refining the spatial layout of logistics services. This study quantitatively and qualitatively analyzes the spatial congregation and spreading characteristics of diverse LSNFs in Wuhan in 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2020, employing kernel density analysis, average nearest neighbor index, mean center, and distance distribution frequency, seeking to characterize the spatial evolution characteristics of LSNF, alongside examining the trends in distances to city cores, principal adjoining roads, and production and consumption sites. The following conclusions were made: (1) Between 2011 and 2020, various types of LSNFs in Wuhan experienced a pattern characterized by the noticeable coexistence of spatial expansion and agglomeration, particularly visible after 2014. The degree of agglomeration is classified in a descending order as follows: CWC, STN, PSN, and PDN. (2) An “absolute diffusion” phenomenon characterizes the distribution of distances between various kinds of LSNFs and city cores or neighboring roads, with the lion’s share of high-frequency distribution zones spreading beyond city cores by 5–10 km, and a majority of the LSNFs being situated within 1 km from adjacent roads. (3) While the LSNF collective exhibits a stronger tendency towards the consumption facet, it reflects a surrounding of industrial production sites on the production facet and locations of manufactured goods consumption on the consumption facet, followed by locations of agricultural product consumption and comprehensive consumption sites.

Water productivity is in the eye of the beholder: benchmarking the multiple values produced by water use in the Phoenix metropolitan area

Abstract. Water productivity (or efficiency) data inform water policy, zoning, and planning, along with water allocation decisions under water scarcity pressure. This paper demonstrates that different water productivity metrics lead to different conclusions about who is using water more effectively. In addition to supporting the population's drinking and sanitation needs, water generates many other public and private social, environmental, and economic values. For the group of municipalities comprising the Phoenix metropolitan area, we compare several water productivity metrics by calculating the water value intensity (WVI) of potable water delivered by the municipality to its residential and non-residential customers. Core cities with more industrial water uses are less productive by the conventional efficiency measure of water used per capita, but core cities generate more tax revenues, business revenues, and payroll per unit of water delivered, achieving a higher water productivity by these measures. We argue that policymakers should consider a more diverse set of socio-economic water productivity measures to ensure that a broader set of values are represented in water allocation policies.

Typology of rural transformation in Grogol, Sukoharjo 2009-2022

Peri-urban growth and development in Grogol District can trigger changes in physical, social, and economic characteristics that were previously rural to become more urban. Therefore, this research is aimed at identifying the physical, social, and economic characteristics of the peri-urban urban area of Grogol Sub-District that occur as a result of the growth and development of the core city, namely Surakarta City. This study was also structured to find out how the peri-urban typology formed in the Grogol sub-district, which is directly adjacent to Surakarta City, when viewed based on the characteristics of the peri-urban area according to its physical, social, and economic aspects. The analytical method used in this research is descriptive statistical analysis by combining the results of the scores for each physical, social, and economic aspect variable. The results showed the development of regional typology zones in 2009–2022, namely: Madegondo Village from 2009–2022, Gedangan Village became the primary peri-urban zone starting in 2018, Cemani Village became the primary peri-urban zone in 2022, Pondok, Pandeyan, Telukan, Kadokan, Grogol, Kwarasan, Parangjoro, Manang, Sanggrahan, and Banaran Villages in 2009–2022, Langenharjo Village in 2012 was included in the primary peri-urban zone, changed in 2015 to become a secondary peri-urban zone. So in 2009–2022, in Grogol District, there will be two typologies, namely the primary peri-urban zone and the secondary peri-urban zone.

A review of influential factors for core city area development processes

Old urban settlements showcase a distinct cultural and social image in their core areas. These core areas have played a vital role in the city development process for centuries. With rapid urbanisation the core areas of these cities are losing their identity and importance. Their economic viability and sociocultural significance are diminishing gradually. Various revival and renewal projects have been undertaken to bring back the lost social and visual character of these areas. This paper presents a critical review of core city area development processes implemented in the last decade, 2011–20. The paper identifies a number of factors that have influenced the development strategies of core city areas. The results of this review are represented using a comprehensive matrix. The major factors that are considered are the social, economic, environmental, cultural and heritage, governance, built environment and accessibility aspects of the development strategies. The social and built environment aspects were found to be the most important factors to take into consideration when undertaking core area development processes in cities.

Spatial patterns analysis of land use changes using spatial metrics in the peri-urban area of Surakarta City 2023

The development of cities and the transformation of suburbs are interrelated. Limited land in urban areas causes urban development to move outward towards peri-urban areas. Morphologically, the spatial development of urban fairy areas causes land use change. Surakarta City, as the mother city of the Subosukowonosraten Area, has experienced over-capacity, causing the effect of Surakarta City towards its periphery. This study aims to analyze spatial patterns of land use change using a spatial metrics approach. Research is quantitative descriptive research with a spatial approach. The results showed an increasing trend of residential land use change in all peri-urban zones of Surakarta City, with a faster rate of land use change in the peri-urban area of the inner zone as an area directly adjacent to the core city. The pattern of land use change shows the inner zone, and the outer zone shows the development of clustering patterns. In contrast, the urban shadow zone and rural hinterland zone show the development of longitudinal patterns.

Inequalities in urban air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa: an empirical modeling of ambient NO and NO2 concentrations in Accra, Ghana.

Road traffic has become the leading source of air pollution in fast-growing sub-Saharan African cities. Yet, there is a dearth of robust city-wide data for understanding space-time variations and inequalities in combustion related emissions and exposures. We combined nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitric oxide (NO) measurement data from 134 locations in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), with geographical, meteorological, and population factors in spatio-temporal mixed effects models to predict NO2 and NO concentrations at fine spatial (50 m) and temporal (weekly) resolution over the entire GAMA. Model performance was evaluated with 10-fold cross-validation (CV), and predictions were summarized as annual and seasonal (dusty [Harmattan] and rainy [non-Harmattan]) mean concentrations. The predictions were used to examine population distributions of, and socioeconomic inequalities in, exposure at the census enumeration area (EA) level. The models explained 88% and 79% of the spatiotemporal variability in NO2 and NO concentrations, respectively. The mean predicted annual, non-Harmattan and Harmattan NO2 levels were 37 (range: 1-189), 28 (range: 1-170) and 50 (range: 1-195) µg m-3, respectively. Unlike NO2, NO concentrations were highest in the non-Harmattan season (41 [range: 31-521] µg m-3). Road traffic was the dominant factor for both pollutants, but NO2 had higher spatial heterogeneity than NO. For both pollutants, the levels were substantially higher in the city core, where the entire population (100%) was exposed to annual NO2 levels exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 10 µg m-3. Significant disparities in NO2 concentrations existed across socioeconomic gradients, with residents in the poorest communities exposed to levels about 15 µg m-3 higher compared with the wealthiest (p < 0.001). The results showed the important role of road traffic emissions in air pollution concentrations in the GAMA, which has major implications for the health of the city's poorest residents. These data could support climate and health impact assessments as well as policy evaluations in the city.

Enhancing Enterprise Integration: Analyzing the Impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative on High-Quality Development in the People’s Republic of China

Amid the backdrop of globalization, international trade has emerged as a crucial driver of economic development. The People’s Republic of China (PRC), as the instigator and key participant in the “Belt and Road” initiative, has garnered substantial attention for its trade collaborations with other participating countries. While numerous studies have examined the impact of the initiative on the PRC’s export trade, there has been relatively limited research on its influence on imports by Chinese enterprises. Hence, this paper aims to address this gap by utilizing the PRC’s customs import data from 2010 to 2015 and focusing on enterprises located in the PRC’s core cities along the Belt and Road route. The study seeks to analyze the initiative’s impact and the underlying mechanisms it employs to shape their import patterns. The findings of this research demonstrate that the Belt and Road initiative plays a significant role in fostering “quality growth” through two primary channels: product diversity and urban innovation capability. Notably, these effects are particularly pronounced for foreign-funded enterprises, capital goods, and enterprises situated in coastal cities. By using the Belt and Road initiative as a case study, this paper provides valuable insights that can inform efforts to further enhance the impact of international cooperation, actively expand imports, and achieve the high-quality development of foreign trade.

Spatial heterogeneity of COVID‐19 impacts on urban household incomes: Between‐ and within‐city analyses of two African countries

AbstractThis paper examines spatial heterogeneity in the impacts of the early days of the COVID‐19 pandemic on urban household incomes in Ethiopia and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Combining new panel household surveys with spatial data, the fixed‐effects regression analysis for Ethiopia finds that households in large and densely populated towns were more likely to lose their labour incomes in the early phase of the pandemic and afterwards than other households. Disadvantaged groups, such as females, low‐skilled, self‐employed and poor, particularly suffered in those towns. In Kinshasa, labour income‐mobility elasticities are higher among workers—particularly female and low‐skilled workers—who live in areas that are located farther from the city core area. The between‐ and within‐city evidence from two Sub‐Saharan African countries points to the spatial heterogeneity of COVID‐19 impacts, implying the critical role of mobility and accessibility in urban agglomerations.

Integrating landscape ecology in urban green infrastructure planning: A multi-scale approach for sustainable development

In response to the growing global recognition of the need to achieve sustainable development, significant efforts are underway to actively integrate nature into the urban environment by implementing green infrastructure. However, due to rapid urban growth, there is a need for novel approaches that integrate ecological knowledge and methods into urban green infrastructure design and development. Traditionally, the planning of green infrastructures in large metropolises has primarily approached from a unique city scale perspective. Here, we advocate for a multi-scale approach, encompassing both spatial and temporal dimensions. This is because by considering space, time, and scale, it is possible to identify relevant elements and constraints at each level and integrate them in an overall solution.This paper combines methodologies and concepts derived from the fundamentals of landscape ecology and proposes their integration into the planning of functional green infrastructures within an urban context. We explore distinct strategies to integrate nature into large cities through three perspectives: urbanism, landscaping, and ecology. The approach used assumes the necessity of a multi-scale framework to establish an integrated and sustainable green system, exemplified by the case study of the city of Madrid (Spain).Considerable progress has been made in the planning of a green belt within Madrid city. However, this initiative has focused primarily on a large-scale, leading to a minimal impact on the city core. To address this limitation, the proposed solution employs a multi-scale approach. By developing a connected network, we aim to provide a comprehensive plan for the integration of green infrastructure throughout the whole urban area.

The evolution of theater placement in the urban space of the city using the example of Moscow from the late 17th to the early 20th century.

The current trend of urban sprawl in major cities is creating conditions for territorial injustice in the distribution of cultural assets. One of the key problems in the modern theater urban development of Moscow is associated with the uneven distribution of theater complexes between the city core and the periphery. The object of the study is the theater as an element of the cultural environment of urban space. The subject of the study is the spatial features of theater placement in the urban structure and its influence on shaping the city's cultural landscape, as well as the spatial evolution of the city itself. The research objective is to establish urban planning correlations between theater location in the city structure and the spatial development of the city through the evolution of theater placement in Moscow from the late 17th to the early 20th century. The research methodology during the historical phase is based on studying bibliographic sources and cartographic analysis. Examination of contemporary issues involved collecting, updating, and visualizing geospatial data on the present urban placement of theaters. The scientific novelty of the study lies in utilizing a spatial approach to examining Moscow's urban cultural environment retrospectively from the late 17th to the early 20th century. This spatial approach enables identifying the correlation between sociocultural phenomena and the structure of Moscow's urban space during this period. The research identified characteristic temporal stages in the evolution of theater placement in Moscow from the late 17th to the early 20th century, coupled with the city's immediate spatial development. The research results can serve as a starting point for developing a comprehensive urban strategy aimed at enhancing the quality of the city's cultural environment through the strategic placement of theater complexes.

Measurement and Influencing Factors of Economic Resilience over a Long Duration of COVID-19: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta, China

The COVID-19 pandemic put forward a new test for an economic resilience study. Its long-term and diffusive spatiotemporal characteristics suggest that we need to pay attention to the resilience and spatial heterogeneity of cities over a longer period. This paper applied SARIMA and the performance curve to measure the economic resilience of each city under the pandemic, and explored its influencing factors and spatial heterogeneity using a geodetector and geographically weighted regression model. The results show that: (1) From 2020 to 2022, the economic resilience in the Yangtze River Delta presented a downward to upward to slightly downward trend. High-resilience cities were concentrated in southern Jiangsu, while vulnerable cities were primarily located in western Anhui. The performance of regional core cities was not as strong as in previous research focusing on long-term economic resilience. (2) Fixed-asset investment, related variety, labor supply level, foreign trade dependence, and innovation level were the main influencing factors, on average. The effects of these factors had spatial heterogeneity related to the regional endowment and development quality. The findings suggest that the specificity of public health risks and the lack of coping experience may lead to a general failure of economic resilience. Identifying key factors and current weaknesses in each region can make resilience improvement strategies more targeted and effective.

Seasonal influences on preferences for urban blue-green spaces: Integrating land surface temperature into the assessment of cultural ecosystem service value

Rapid urbanization has triggered conflicts between blue–green space and other city infrastructure, challenging urban planning efforts to improve city residents' well-being. Cultural ecosystem services (CESs) improve mental and physical wellness by offering access to blue–green space via aesthetic or recreational experiences, but these offerings fluctuate; seasonal differences and contributing factors are unclear. We divided urban green space representation into Changfeng Park (CF) in the city core district, Miracle Park (QJ) in the nearby suburb, and Wusong Paotaiwan Wetland Park (WPW) in the far suburb. We combined social media data regarding CESs with the SolVES model and innovatively considered land surface temperature (LST) as an environmental factor affecting CESs. The study demonstrated that (1) seasonal changes significantly influence CES provision in WPW and QJ via landscape dynamics and landscape-related cultural activities. In the more universally designed CF Park, CES seasonal variations were smaller. (2) LST affected CES experiences at both spatial and temporal scales, with higher degrees of influence in summer and in the WPW, potentially due to Shanghai's seasonal high temperatures and humidity and unique landscape features, respectively. (3) These findings can help create seasonally-adaptable blue–green areas that satisfy the demands of urban residents.

Estimation of Economic Spillover Effects under the Hierarchical Structure of Urban Agglomeration Based on Time-Series Night-Time Lights: A Case Study of the Pearl River Delta, China

Urban agglomerations are becoming increasingly important in driving economic development in China. Accurate representation of the economic development status and spillover effects of cities within an urban agglomeration is the foundation of and an effective approach for promoting the coordinated development of that agglomeration. However, current studies of economic spillovers tend to focus on urban agglomerations as a whole, and there is a lack of scrutiny and validation of research data. Therefore, this study proposes a framework for detecting economic spillover effects within an urban agglomeration based on a prolonged night-time light dataset. Firstly, we explored the most suitable night-time light index to characterize the economic status. Then, we used this index to construct the economic network and hierarchical structure of the urban agglomeration. Finally, we explored the heterogeneity of spillover effects under the hierarchical structure. The results of a case study in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) urban agglomeration show that (1) the total night-time light in built-up areas (BNTL) has the highest Pearson correlation coefficient with GDP, which is 0.82; (2) there is an obvious hierarchical structure within the PRD; (3) there are significant and sustained economic spillover effects among the core cities, with Guangzhou–Foshan and Shenzhen–Dongguan having more obvious spillover effects; and (4) the economic spillover effects within the three metropolitan areas have different characteristics. The Guangzhou–Foshan–Zhaoqing metropolitan area is closely linked, to apparent differences in the pace of spillover effects. The Shenzhen–Dongguan–Huizhou metropolitan area has strong close linkages, with strong synchronization of spillover effects. The Zhuhai–Zhongshan–Jiangmen metropolitan area has not yet formed a stable synergistic development relationship. Overall, the framework can effectively reveal the hierarchical structure and different characteristics of economic spillovers within urban agglomerations, which can provide a scientific reference for policy making related to the coordinated development of such agglomerations.

Deciphering the evolving trajectories of China's megaregions from 1992 to 2020: A novel morphological approach based on global land cover products

The monitoring of megaregion boundaries (MBs) is of vital importance for optimizing land use decision-making. However, the morphological structure of megaregions is currently insufficiently identified due to the nontransparent proprietary or inherent deficiency data sources. Thus, this study utilized land cover products integrated with morphological approaches to delineate the evolving trajectories of China's megaregions from 1992 to 2020. Firstly, core areas of megaregions and periphery affected areas were extracted from urban land density maps based on the gravity model and landscape metrics. Secondly, contiguous urban-rural fringes were improved based on the morphological operations and the rank-size distribution. Thirdly, urban land was automatically allocated to megaregions, considering planning policies. Furthermore, three indicators (gross domestic product, population, and land use density) are considered to validate our results, and our extracted MBs show a better understanding than the administrative divisions. The dynamic expansion patterns of twenty identified MBs were captured. As urbanization continues, the boundaries between megaregions become increasingly blurred and eventually merged into large-scale continuous megaregions that extend far beyond administrative divisions. Our study provides valuable insights for megaregion planning, including the effective urban management policies, the role of core cities in each megaregion in terms of radiation and capability.

Exploring the relation between urban landscape service values and different infrastructures through crowdsourced data

ABSTRACT This research focuses on exploring and mapping Ankara’s urban points of interest and their values on different urban infrastructure types using geolocated data from Flickr. All publicly available data dated between 2005 and 2021 from Flickr were obtained through application programming interface and the infrastructure types were reclassified as green, blue, grey, and yellow, using the land use and land cover data based on Corine 2018. Spatial patterns for cultural service flow of landscape features and/or landscapes on different urban infrastructure types were mapped using Kernel density estimation in QGIS 3.21. The hotspots were assessed in terms of the cultural services they offered based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) framework, site visits, and observations. The findings showed that the city core mostly provided cultural heritage, identity, and recreational values. Results for the rural and peri-urban areas indicated that natural landscapes and protected areas stood out for their provision of cultural services, particularly for their recreational values. Our research identified user-intensive geographical clusters and hotspots that could benefit from interventions and enhancement for a more sustainable urban environment.

Gavin W. Jones: demography detective and the mystery of the MURs

ABSTRACT Meeting for the first time in Jakarta in the early 1980s, Gavin Jones and I encountered a great mystery: how had decades of slow-growing, involuting cities in Asia suddenly become a new era of accelerated urbanisation producing mega-urban regions (MURs) with population sizes having no historical precedent? With collaborators in 6 MURs, in 2000 we launched a book project presenting our solution to the mystery. We showed how MUR formations extended far beyond core cities by incorporating towns and villages into their daily orbits. Our findings illuminate key issues at stake, including increasing disparities in life chances over space, rising risks of global climate change, and complexities of MUR governance.

Об эффективном взаимодействии Китая и России в рамках инициативы «Один пояс – один путь» и стратегии евразийского экономического союза

The article states that, in contrast to the neoliberal hegemonic policies and modernization of the United States and the West, the Belt and Road Initiative advocates for countries to freely choose their own development vector as part of mutually beneficial cooperation, a “green” community, and the joint use of work products. As part of a vigorous intensification of Chinese-Russian cooperation, the idea of strategic joint development of the Far East is being disclosed, in particular, the development of the land and sea Economic Belt of the New Silk Road in northeast China. This initiative consists of two main and auxiliary hubs based on five core cities, combining five strategic projects into one regional development center. It is emphasized that civilized countries and peoples of the world must unite and, through joint efforts, heavily resist the provocative onslaught and hegemonic dominance of the United States and the West in the economic, political and military sectors, continue the struggle for genuine multilateralism and the construction of a Community of Shared Destiny for Mankind, initiated by the countries of the South, such as China and Russia.