City Level Research Articles

Enhancing the city-level thermal environment through the strategic utilization of urban green spaces employing geospatial techniques.

Smart urban planning needs to have a multicriteria-based approach to prevent the deteriorating local thermal climate. Maximizing the cooling potential using the available grey infrastructure would be the utmost priority of future smart cities. Remote sensing and GIS can be the appropriate tools to develop a climate-resilient urban planning framework. Studies are needed to include different features of vertical and horizontal landscaping to mitigate heat stress and enhance liveability at the city level. With this goal, the current work outlined a holistic approach to efficiently using green spaces with minimal reconstruction. The problem of regional climate threat was evaluated with urban heat island characterization. Moran's I clustering identified nearly 12% of the study area to be under considerable heat stress during summer days. Multiple techniques, such as mapping local climate zones, segment mean shift-based roof extraction, vegetation index computation, solar azimuth-based green wall site selection, etc., were applied to formulate solutions and provide an integrated method for city-level environment enhancement. A considerable area was identified as most suitable for green roof cover, and it was also computed that the transition towards green roof at only these locations may bring down the maximum heat island intensity by 0.74°C. Additionally, solar zenith, illumination effect, and building height information were combined to create a distinct method where vertical plantation would flourish exceptionally. A rigorous assessment of more than 130 urban green spaces further quantified the relation between landscape geometry and cooling effect to provide optimum green space designs for future urban planning.

Simulation and Prediction of Land Use Change and Carbon Emission under Multiple Development Scenarios at the City Level: A Case Study of Xi’an, China

Studying urban land use and its impact on carbon emissions is crucial for achieving China’s dual carbon goals. This research utilized the Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs) scenarios 126, 245, and 585 from the Sixth International Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), along with a coupled System Dynamics (SD) and Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model and a carbon emission coefficient method to simulate and predict Xi’an’s land use carbon emissions from 2020 to 2040. The results indicate the following: (1) Cultivated and forest lands are the predominant land use types in Xi’an, with cultivated and grassland areas projected to decline under all three SSP scenarios by 2040. The most significant expansion of construction land, primarily at the expense of farmland, is projected under the SSP585 scenario, with an increase of 515.92 km2 by 2040. (2) Land use carbon emissions increased from 414.15 × 104 t in 2000 to 2376.10 × 104 t in 2020, with construction land being the primary source of emissions and forest land serving as the main carbon sink. However, the carbon sink capacity remained low at only 21.38 × 104 t in 2020. (3) Carbon emissions are expected to continue increasing under all scenarios through 2030 and 2040, though at a decreasing rate. The SSP126 scenario predicts the lowest emissions, reaching 9186.00 × 104 t by 2040, while SSP585 predicts the highest at 14,935.00 × 104 t. The findings of this study provide theoretical support for future low-carbon and high-quality urban development strategies.

Research on the spatiotemporal distribution and factors influencing intangible cultural heritage in Fujian Province from a multiscale perspective

The spatiotemporal distribution of intangible cultural heritage in Fujian Province, China, and the factors that influence it were explored using multiple spatial scales. The samples include five batches of Chinese national-level and six batches of Chinese provincial-level intangible cultural heritage items, totaling 554. The samples involve city-scale, county-scale, and traditional dwellings, and the analysis uses various methods, such as gravity migration theory and the GeoDetector model. The results show that, in terms of historical timescales, the moving trajectory of the center of gravity of the intangible cultural heritage distribution in Fujian Province involves reciprocation from north to south, and the center moves south in time from the pre-Qin period to the modern period. Spatially, intangible cultural heritage in Fujian Province forms an overall aggregate pattern, among which traditional skills fall into an aggregate pattern; five categories, including traditional drama, fall into an aggregate-random pattern; and four categories, including traditional medicine, fall into a random pattern. The traditional art category and other intensive distribution areas are located in coastal areas, and the traditional dance category is scattered in northwestern Fujian Province. Experiments on the factors influencing intangible cultural heritage distribution were conducted at the city and county levels. At the city level, human geography factors, such as the resident population, urbanization rate, and gross domestic product, have a greater influence on distribution. At the county level, the influence of physical geographical factors clearly increases. The dominant factors for coastal cities are the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), average precipitation, and coastline, and that for inland cities is elevation. From the perspective of categories, the dominant factors of traditional music and Quyi are human geography factors, and those of other types of intangible cultural heritage are the synergistic effects of physical geography and human geography. The conclusions of this study are helpful for systematically protecting and developing the intangible cultural heritage industry and improving research theories and methodological systems of the spatiotemporal distribution and mechanism influencing intangible cultural heritage.

Peeling the multiple layers of inequalities in free higher education policies

ABSTRACT It has long been debated as to whether higher education (HE) is a site of social mobility that promotes meritocracy or social reproduction that creates and exacerbates inequalities in societies. In this paper, I will argue that HE, even when democratised and provided free to everyone, reproduces inequalities unless coupled with an inclusive sectoral design, an expansion of funding, and a wider strategy to reduce socio-economic inequalities. To do so, I studied the case of Syria, which has always claimed to have a meritocratic HE system that is designed to achieve equality in society by providing free HE for all since the 1970s. I analysed the database of the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) for 15 academic years from 2001 to 2015. This database included data on students’ access and graduation rate divided by the type of education (public, private, higher institutes, and technical institutes), level of education (undergraduate and postgraduate), gender (male and female), city, faculty, and specialisations. This analysis unpacked four types of inequalities, namely education type-based inequalities, specialisation-based inequalities, city-based inequalities, and gender-based inequalities. Finally, I show how gender dynamics and roles are changing in the HE sector as a result of the Syrian conflict.

First-time calculation of the spatial distribution of concentration and air quality index over South Africa using TROPOMI data

ABSTRACT The release of toxic gases into the atmosphere may reach concentrations that can cause undesirable health, economic, or aesthetic effects. It is therefore important to monitor the amounts of pollutants injected into the atmosphere from various sources. Most countries have a ground network with multiple measuring sites and instruments, that can measure the air quality index (AQI). However, the main challenge with the networks is the low spatial coverage. In this work, satellite data is used to calculate for the first time the spatial distribution of AQI and pollutant concentration over South Africa. The TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) onboard Sentinel-5P data is used to calculate AQI from carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) gases. The results that the month of June has the worst air quality distribution throughout the country, while March has the best air quality distribution. Overall, the results clearly show that TROPOMI has the capability to measure air quality at a country and city level. Implications: In this work, satellite data is used to calculate for the first time the spatial distribution of the air quality index (AQI) and pollutant concentration over South Africa. The TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) onboard Sentinel-5P data is used to calculate AQI from carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) gases. Currently, South Africa has a ground network of instruments that measure AQ, however, the network does not cover the whole country. In this work, we show that the use of TROPOMI can compliment the current network and provide data for the areas not covered.

Energy Price Fluctuation and Real Estate Market Risk Prevention—Empirical Evidence at the Prefecture-Level City Level in China

Abstract The impact of energy price fluctuation on the macro economy is a hot issue that is continuously concerned by the academic community, but few literature have paid attention to the impact of energy price fluctuation on housing price and the financial risks that may arise. Based on the data of cities at and above the prefecture level in China, this paper empirically examines the impact of energy price fluctuation on the price fluctuation of the domestic real estate, and analyzes its influencing mechanism and transmission pathways. The results show that changes of energy price will significantly affect the fluctuation of domestic real estate price, and it is more obvious in large cities and megacities. Energy price affect the demand for housing through changes of interest rate levels on the one hand, and the supply of the real estate market through the cost of housing construction on the other hand, which leads to housing price fluctuation. After a series of robustness tests, the results are still valid. At the same time, the effect is asymmetric, that is, higher energy price increases the fluctuation of house price, but the impact of falling energy price is not significant. Therefore, when preventing real estate market risks, energy price should be considered as a forward-looking indicator to focus on, and the regulation and control policies of the real estate market should be scientifically formulated. This paper not only provides a new perspective on the mechanism of housing price formation, but also enriches the research on the interconnection between energy and financial markets.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on online consumption share: Evidence from China's mobile payment data

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the online retail market in China and explores the mechanisms underlying this relationship. By developing a theoretical model based on utility theory and consumer risk perception theory and utilizing monthly mobile payment consumption data along with the number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 at the city level in 2020, this study finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has driven an increase in the share of online consumption, thereby changing the structure of the retail market. The primary mechanism is that the pandemic boosts e-commerce activity while concurrently reducing the service quality for consumers shopping offline. Furthermore, this study confirms that online consumption has mitigated the negative impact of the pandemic on overall consumption expenditure. Heterogeneity analyses suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the online share of necessity and upgraded consumption. For city heterogeneity, the effects of the pandemic on online and offline consumption structures are more pronounced in regions with larger consumption scales and lower urbanization rates. Thus, the pandemic has accelerated the development of the online retail market and strengthened consumer inertia for online channels. According to consumer inertia theory, this trend may continue even as the pandemic gradually weakens. The applicability and effectiveness of this study's conclusions and methods provide a new perspective for future research on online retail and e-commerce markets.

Economic crisis, urban structural change and inter-sectoral labour mobility

Are recessions drivers of structural change? Here we investigate employment dynamics in the UK and show that a re-allocation of labour between industrial sectors in times of crisis induces an acceleration in structural change. Our key hypothesis is that cities with industrial baskets that exhibit strong potential for inter-industry labour mobility are more resilient as they can shift workers between sectors resulting in employment growth in some sectors — which in turn induces structural change during an economic crisis. Probing this hypothesis, we find that UK cities experienced a sharp increase in the rate of structural change at the city level around 2009 which coincided with an increase in inter-sectoral job transitions during the recession (2008–11) which persisted for years afterwards. To shed light on this, we deploy an econometric model to show that local employment in skill-related sectors, which captures the potential for inter-industry labour mobility, is most strongly associated with city-industry employment growth during the recession period.

Can place-based policy reduce carbon emissions? Evidence from industrial transformation and upgrading exemplary zone in China

The effect of the place-based policies on sustainable development has received substantial attention in economic research. In China, the industrial transformation and upgrading exemplary zone policy is a prominent example of such policies, as it targets old industrial and resource-based cities. The paper provides an early assessment of the policy’s capability to reduce carbon emissions. Specifically, we use data from old industrial and resource-based cities for the period of 2012–2019 and apply the difference-in-differences method to examine the policy’s influence on total carbon emissions and intensity. The results show that the policy can effectively reduce carbon emissions through reducing energy consumption, promoting urban green innovation and tertiary industry agglomeration. Compared to resource-based cities, cities with a low level of economic development and central, western cities, this impact is more notable in old industrial cities, cities with a high level of economic development and eastern cities. Additional analysis reveals that the policy has beneficial spatial radiation impacts on the nearby cities as well. In the meanwhile, the strategy may have a synergy effect on reducing carbon emissions and pollution. The results of this study may have an impact on how nations implement place-based policies and reduce carbon emissions.

Forecasting and mapping dengue fever epidemics in China: a spatiotemporal analysis

BackgroundDengue fever (DF) has emerged as a significant public health concern in China. The spatiotemporal patterns and underlying influencing its spread, however, remain elusive. This study aims to identify the factors driving these variations and to assess the city-level risk of DF epidemics in China.MethodsWe analyzed the frequency, intensity, and distribution of DF cases in China from 2003 to 2022 and evaluated 11 natural and socioeconomic factors as potential drivers. Using the random forest (RF) model, we assessed the contributions of these factors to local DF epidemics and predicted the corresponding city-level risk.ResultsBetween 2003 and 2022, there was a notable correlation between local and imported DF epidemics in case numbers (r = 0.41, P < 0.01) and affected cities (r = 0.79, P < 0.01). With the increase in the frequency and intensity of imported epidemics, local epidemics have become more severe. Their occurrence has increased from five to eight months per year, with case numbers spanning from 14 to 6641 per month. The spatial distribution of city-level DF epidemics aligns with the geographical divisions defined by the Huhuanyong Line (Hu Line) and Qin Mountain-Huai River Line (Q-H Line) and matched well with the city-level time windows for either mosquito vector activity (83.59%) or DF transmission (95.74%). The RF models achieved a high performance (AUC = 0.92) when considering the time windows. Importantly, they identified imported cases as the primary influencing factor, contributing significantly (24.82%) to local DF epidemics at the city level in the eastern region of the Hu Line (E–H region). Moreover, imported cases were found to have a linear promoting impact on local epidemics, while five climatic and six socioeconomic factors exhibited nonlinear effects (promoting or inhibiting) with varying inflection values. Additionally, this model demonstrated outstanding accuracy (hitting ratio = 95.56%) in predicting the city-level risks of local epidemics in China.ConclusionsChina is experiencing an increasing occurrence of sporadic local DF epidemics driven by an unavoidably higher frequency and intensity of imported DF epidemics. This research offers valuable insights for health authorities to strengthen their intervention capabilities against this disease.Graphical

Mapping Bucharest: Analyzing the Six Sectors Through Geospatial Data and Spatial Autocorrelation

Abstract Connectivity at the level of basic services within a city is the basis for adopting an investment strategy, both at the level of public administration and in the private environment. In addition, based on the concept of connectivity to citizens' basic needs, individuals can make decisions about purchasing a home. Therefore, the paper aims to analyse Bucharest, at the level of the 6 administrative sectors, from the perspective of connectivity to basic services (health, education, culture, etc.). In order to achieve this objective, with the help of GIS technology, relevant data will be extracted on residential buildings, transport infrastructure, and variables characterizing basic services at city level, for all 6 sectors of the capital. At the level of the 6 sectors of the capital there are structural differences in terms of access to basic services, especially as a result of the expansionary residential trend in the peripheries of the 6 sectors of Bucharest.

Improvement and exacerbation of multiple disparities in sexually transmitted infections among children and adolescents aged 6-22 years: An analysis of national surveillance data from 2013 to 2021.

To investigate the progress of disparities in human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), gonorrhea, and syphilis among children and adolescents aged 6-22 years in China during 2013-2021. A total of 614 325 cases data were extracted from the Chinese Information System for Infectious Diseases Control and Prevention during 2013-2021. Puberty health education data were drew from the Student Health Surveillance in 2021. Disparity patterns and average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) incidence or new cases in China were examined using descriptive statistics and joinpoint regression. The incidence across 345 cities was stratified by gross domestic product (GDP). Between 2013 and 2021, there were 614 325 reported cases of HIV/AIDS, gonorrhea, and syphilis among children and adolescents aged 6-22, with an annual average incidence of 24.0967 per 100 000. The expansion of HIV/AIDS has halted, yet the surge in gonorrhea and syphilis remains notably pronounced. The ratio of male to female AIDS incidence increased from 2.75 (2.60, 2.90) to 7.13 (6.68, 7.62), but that of syphilis changed from 0.33 (0.32, 0.34) to 0.56 (0.55, 0.57). Students and out-of-school individuals aged 13-15 experienced a notably high increase in STI cases, surpassing other age groups, with an average annual percentage increase of 29.2% and 26.3%, respectively. Nonstudents consistently had a higher incidence rate than students, with an IRR reaching 31.80 (31.24, 32.37) in 2021. A noticeable clustering pattern of new cases emerged in the southeastern region of the Heihe-Tengchong line, extending inland from the coastal areas. Districts and counties with lower rates of puberty sexual health education tended to have higher average STI incidence rates. At the prefecture and city levels, there was a noticeable upward trend on average STI incidence rates in cities with per capita GDPs. Strategies to address those disparities include promoting equitable health education, and widespread sexual health education, particularly in areas with limited access to education and experiencing rapid economic development. The effectiveness of sexual health education intervention needs to be further evaluated in well-designed studies.

Influence of COVID-19 lockdowns on NO2 levels in Urmia city: a comparative analysis between 2018 and 2020

Influence of COVID-19 lockdowns on NO2 levels in Urmia city: a comparative analysis between 2018 and 2020

What shapes international air transportation in Southern Africa? − The evidence considering the impact of Covid-19

The lack of intra-continental air connectivity in Africa has long been criticized. This paper aims to understand the factors determining intra-regional air transportation in the Southern Africa region and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Firstly, we analyze the geospatial characteristics of the air transport network, airport connectivity, and market structure before and after the pandemic. We also examine the progress of air transport liberalization in Africa and its impact on market structure and airline privatization. We find that the liberalization facilitated market competition and the progress of privatization, but its influence didn’t sustain long. Secondly, based on monthly data at the city level from April 2012 to December 2021, using monthly Total Night-time Light Intensity (TNLI) as a proxy of gross regional product (GRP), we develop a gravity model to empirically investigate the determinants of international air passenger flows within Southern Africa. The analysis shows that the factors promoting air traffic include GRP, air transport liberalization, the presence of low-cost carriers, and airline privatization, while high market concentration and diplomatic disagreements hinder air passenger flows. The pandemic and associated government restriction measures have severely impacted intra-regional air transport connectivity, while the vaccination program has significantly contributed to the recovery of air transportation.

Construction and Optimization Strategy of Ecological Security Pattern in County-Level Cities under Spatial and Temporal Variation of Ecosystem Services: Case Study of Mianzhu, China

Climate change and human activities are seriously affecting the ecological level and economic development of county-level cities. Mianzhu City is a typical county-level city located within the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle and the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The study selected primary ecological sources by analyzing high-level ecosystem service functions over time, using Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA). Ecological resistance surfaces were constructed using natural factors to address ecological risks associated with future urbanization. The construction of the ecological security pattern (ESP) followed the source–corridor–node paradigm, incorporating changes in ecosystem service risks. From 2010 to 2020, ecosystem service functions and values in Mianzhu City declined overall, with significant spatial variations. Human activities increased in ecologically fragile areas, aggravating exposure to ecological risks from climate change and urban expansion. Ecological protection and restoration zones were identified, with nature reserves in the north and the southern center as the core. In 2020, 19 ecological sources and 46 ecological corridors were identified, with a spatial distribution pattern of “more length and short resistance in the north, less length and long resistance in the south”. Additionally, 41 ecological pinch points and 16 ecological barrier points were determined. Considering the spatial distribution of the core areas of ecosystem services and lands with human-intensive activities, setting up the general idea of the ecological restoration pattern centered on forests, river corridors, and natural and artificial landscapes. The study provides new insights into constructing and optimizing the ESP, offering crucial references for the rapid urbanization of ecological restoration and development planning in urban regions.

Evolving connections: Understanding the dynamics behind the Sino-foreign sister city network

Sister city relationships bolster trust and facilitate deeper interactions between international cities, acting as key enablers for transnational cooperation. However, less is known about the driving factors for the dynamic evolution of sister city networks. Accordingly, our study leverages data from Sino-foreign sister cities and applies the stochastic actor-oriented model (SAOM) to analyze the evolution process of these networks. We examine the driving roles of network structure characteristics, sister city attributes, and control variables. Key findings include that network density (outdegree) positively and insignificantly influences the formation of these networks, while activity plus popularity foster these connections. For city attributes, institutional distance and geographical similarity (both coastal cities) play a positive driving force in the development of sister cities. By contrast, cultural distance similarity negatively affects the dynamic development of these ties. Most interestingly, three control variables exhibit different effects on Sino-foreign sister city networks. Economic level and opening-up degree of cities exert positive and significant effects on the evolution of networks. By comparison, the effect of resource endowment of cities on network evolution presents a negative and significant driving force. In addition, this study also examines spatial heterogeneity in the evolution of Sino-foreign sister city relationships across different continents. These findings can help urban diplomacy practitioners to formulate and implement sister city planning policies and promote the efficiency of Sino-foreign cities in establishing sister city relationships.

Land Green Utilization Efficiency and Its Driving Mechanisms in the Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area

Improving land green use efficiency is of great significance for promoting high-quality economic development and promoting the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. In this study, the super-efficiency SBM model with non-expected output was used to measure the level of land green use efficiency at county scale in the Zhengzhou metropolitan area from 2005 to 2020. Based on this, the spatio-temporal evolution and spatial agglomeration characteristics were analyzed. Finally, the driving mechanisms were revealed by using the geographical detector model. The results were as follows: (1) From 2005 to 2020, the land green use efficiency of the Zhengzhou metropolitan area fluctuated from 0.5329 to 0.5164, with an average annual decline rate of 0.21%, exhibiting three stages: decline, rise, then another slight decline. At the city level, Luohe City had the highest land green use efficiency, while Zhengzhou City had the lowest. (2) The land green use efficiency of the Zhengzhou metropolitan area showed a significant spatial positive correlation, Moran’s I index increased from 0.1472 to 0.2991, and the spatial agglomeration effect was continuously enhanced. On the local scale, high-high (H-H) aggregation and low-low (L-L) aggregation were dominant, high-high (H-H) aggregation areas were mainly distributed in the southwest and southeast of the Zhengzhou metropolitan area, and low-low (L-L) aggregation areas were mainly distributed in the central and western parts of the Zhengzhou metropolitan area. (3) There is heterogeneity in the degree of influence of different driving factors on land green use efficiency in the Zhengzhou metropolitan area, which is ranked as topographic relief (X7) &gt; forest coverage rate (X8) &gt; social consumption (X6) &gt; industrial structure (X3) &gt; urbanization rate (X2) &gt; economic development (X1) &gt; industrial added value scale (X5) &gt; financial expenditure (X4). q values were 0.1856, 0.1119, 0.1082, 0.0741, 0.0673, 0.0589, 0.0492 and 0.0430, respectively. The interaction of two factors can enhance the explanatory power of land green use efficiency in the Zhengzhou metropolitan area. Except for the interaction of topographic relief and forest coverage rate, the other factors all show double factor enhancement. The explanatory power of the interaction between topographic relief and urbanization rate is the strongest, at 0.3513. In the future, policy regulation should be carried out from the perspectives of the interaction of social and economic conditions such as improving forest coverage rate, improving consumption power, optimizing industrial structure and improving land green use mechanisms to promote the improvement of land green use efficiency.

Does energy-consuming rights trading policy achieve urban pollution and carbon reduction? A quasi-natural experiment from China

Energy-consuming rights trading (ECRT) policy represents a critical policy instrument for China striving to achieve its “dual carbon” objectives, captivating significant attention for its potential to reduce pollution and carbon emissions. This study utilizes panel data from 290 Chinese cities spanning 2010 to 2021, leveraging the ECRT policy as a quasi-natural experiment. Employing Difference-in-Differences (DID) and Propensity Score Matching-Difference-in-Differences (PSM-DID) methodologies, we assess the effect of the ECRT policy on urban pollution and carbon reduction levels. The findings indicate: 1) Relative to non-demonstration cities, the ECRT policy significantly enhances pollution and carbon reduction levels in demonstration cities; this conclusion remains robust after rigorous testing. 2) Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the policy’s effect on pollution and carbon reduction is more significant in the central and western regions, and particularly evident in key and resource-based cities. 3) Mechanism tests demonstrate that the policy facilitates urban pollution and carbon reduction by cultivating green technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading. Therefore, to further advance the ECRT policy, it is necessary to expand the breadth, depth, and flexibility of policy implementation, while also optimizing environmental regulations to fully leverage the system’s potential in enhancing urban pollution and carbon emissions.

Does green finance reform hit urban employment? — Evidence from China's green finance pilot policy

This study aimed to examine the impact of China's Green Finance Reform and Innovation Pilot Zone policy on urban employment trends. The policy was used as a quasi-natural experiment to understand its influence on the average annual employment dynamics across Chinese cities from 2013 to 2022. We employed a staggered Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to examine the policy's effect on urban employment carefully. Our findings indicate that the green finance pilot policy stimulated employment growth at the city level. Subsequently, we discuss the contrasting firm-level effects. Interestingly, the green finance pilot policy has a negative impact on firm-level employment growth. Moreover, the influence varies significantly depending on regional financial development, corporate factor intensity, and ownership structures. This difference between city-level and firm-level outcomes is due to labor shifting from firms with high environmental and social risks to those with lower risks and reallocating labor from secondary to tertiary industries. These findings suggest that green finance reforms have nuanced effects on employment. While they may dampen growth at the firm level, they could foster growth at the city level. Our study provides empirical insights that could help refine the green finance pilot policy and optimize urban industrial structures.

The Pattern of Communication in Community Groups Supported by Bandung City Government

The argument that the media influences our behavior both directly and indirectly is indeed a significant concern for mass media "connoisseurs." The Internet, in particular, is a powerful medium that provides a vast array of information. The use of the internet, whether through websites, social media, or other platforms, follows a basic concept of openness, allowing various types of information to be shared by and with many people. The position of the Kelompok Informasi Masyarakat (hereinafter referred to as KIM) was confirmed based on the Minister of Communication and Information Regulation Number 8 of 2010 concerning the Development and Empowerment of Social Communication Institutions. It is a Community Information Group formed by the community, from the community and for the community, independently and creatively managing information and community empowerment to enhance added value. As a form of community empowerment, the existence of KIM is an alternative solution for raising awareness about the importance of group dynamics, especially in information exchange and fostering partnerships with various government agencies at the district and city levels. This case was analyzed using the theories of group communication, communication ethics, and communication media, which are integral to understanding the communication patterns within KIM.