New-type Urbanization Research Articles

Examining the decoupling relationship between new-type urbanization and carbon emissions and its driving factors in China: evidence from 260 cities

Examining the decoupling relationship between new-type urbanization and carbon emissions and its driving factors in China: evidence from 260 cities

The physical and virtual presence of the local state and citizens’ life satisfaction in urbanising China

China’s rapid and ongoing urbanisation has led to the expansion of the local state. The state, traditionally exhibited as physical institutions of government, has emerged virtually in recent years based on intricate network infrastructure systems, such as social media platforms. Scholars contend that a strong physical state infrastructure enhances government function and can increase citizens’ life satisfaction; in contrast, the state’s virtual presence is unlikely to exert a substantial independent impact because of its reliance on the state’s physical infrastructure. In this research, we calibrated innovative measures of the state’s physical and virtual presence. Combined with data from the 2018 Urbanisation and Quality of Life Survey conducted in 40 sampling sites undergoing rural–urban transition, we further assessed how the local state’s physical and virtual presence is associated with citizens’ self-reported life satisfaction in the context of China’s national new-type urbanisation. Our results, based on three-level mixed-effects regressions, indicate that the local state’s bricks-and-mortar institutions do not correlate with citizens’ life satisfaction; rather, the establishment of a web-based, cost-effective, transparent, and coordinated virtual presence is associated with a higher level of life satisfaction among citizens. At a time when the Chinese central government emphasises its commitment to ‘people-centred’ urbanisation, the findings offer insight into the strategies that local governments could employ to improve governance quality and enhance citizens’ well-being.

Sustainable development of urban agglomerations around lakes in China: Achieving SDGs by regulating Ecosystem Service Supply and Demand through New-type Urbanization

The mechanism through which New-type Urbanization (NU), as a new direction in urban development, influences the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by regulating the Ecosystem Services (ES) supply and demand remains to be determined. It is particularly true in urban agglomerations around lakes, characterized by severe human-land conflicts, where socio-economic development is closely linked to water. We selected China's urban agglomerations around lakes as the study area. We investigated the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of NU and the Ecosystem Service Supply and Demand Ratio (ESDR) from 2000 to 2018. We specifically focused on the dynamic trends of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). Furthermore, we utilized Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to reveal the direct effects and indirect pathways through which NU influences the achievement of SDGs in the study area, emphasizing the differentiated performance of this mechanism across various urban agglomerations around Lakes. The results indicated that the ESDR has a particularly evident downward trend in urban centers along lakes, rivers, and road networks in spatial terms. The level of NU in urban agglomerations around lakes has increased by about 50% overall. It geographically exhibits three main spatial distribution patterns: “diffusion along the lake,” “homogeneous distribution,” and “diffusion along the river.” NU directly inhibits the achievement of SDGs but indirectly promotes the improvement of ESDR for food production and soil conservation, thereby indirectly facilitating the achievement of SDG 2 and SDG 15, but has an inhibitory effect on SDG 13. By regulating ESDR, NU is most effective in achieving SDGs in the urban agglomerations around Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake but has a significant inhibitory effect on the urban agglomeration around Hongze Lake. This research provides quantitative evidence for the urban planning shift, terrestrial ecosystem function restoration, and SDGs achievement in urban agglomerations around lakes. It also offers new insights from China for the sustainable urban construction of urban agglomerations around lakes worldwide.

Promoting coordinated spatial governance of mega-cities in China via spatial organization of metropolitan areas

Super large-sized cities and very large-sized cities (“mega-cities” for short) have become the backbone of China's socio-economic development, but they also face outstanding challenges of "urban diseases" due to their high concentration. In comparison to their foreign counterparts, China's mega-cities possess unique characteristics such as rapid growth, high population density, and large numbers of residents. They naturally have the attributes of metropolitan areas due to an administrative management system of an urban system within city territory. Promoting coordinated spatial governance of mega-cities via spatial organization of metropolitan areas not only helps mega-cities better allocate resources at a larger scope and helps expedite the transformation of development patterns, but is also crucial for better implementing new-type urbanization strategies. In response to the issues in China’s previous research and practices related to mega-cities and metropolitan areas, leveraging the “Critical Technology for Spatial Optimization of Metropolitan Areas of City Clusters” of the national key R&D plan in the “14th Five-year Plan” period, we have employed a scientific approach that combines data and models to propose spatial governance strategies. These strategies encompass both the overall metropolitan area level and the cross-border regional level. Our primary focus lies in optimizing the spatial layout of the “three domains” – ecological space, production space, and living space, facilitating functional dispersal, enhancing spatial patterns, adjusting land use structures and spatial resource allocation, coordinating rail transit and the organization of functions along transit lines, and innovating service management for improvement of administrative efficiency. Through the implementation of these diverse measures, we aim to establish a comprehensive composite collaborative system.

How does new-type urbanization promote green development efficiency in China? The mediating role of governments, enterprises, and residents

New-type urbanization (NTU) is proposed by China to solve unsustainable issues and improve green development efficiency (GDE) during the process of rapid urbanization. However, the impact mechanism of NTU on GDE is unclear. Using panel data of 282 prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2019, we measured NTU and GDE to describe their spatiotemporal pattern and relationship evolution. The fixed effects panel model and mediating effect panel model were further utilized to analyze the benchmark impact, mediating mechanism and spatiotemporal heterogeneity of NTU on GDE. The results showed that NTU improved whose level in eastern region was the highest, while GDE increased in fluctuations whose level in eastern and western regions performed better. With the proportion of double-high cities increasing from 13.83% to 43.62%, the NTU-GDE relationship was upgraded. Overall, every 1% improvement in NTU increased GDE by 0.3111%, and the enterprise effect, resident effect and government effect played a positive mediating role from high to low. During the later stage of NTU, it improved GDE more strongly and the mediating role of governments was optimized. The eastern region was the only region with three positive mediating roles of governments, enterprises and residents. These findings will facilitate GDE through NTU in China and have reference significance for the sustainability of global urbanization.

Sustainable urbanization and green total factor productivity: evidence from China’s new-type urbanization plan

Sustainable urbanization is significant in developing countries. This paper studies whether Chinese-type sustainable urbanization, that is new-type urbanization, promotes green total factor productivity (GTFP). We find that the new-type urbanization implementation in China, on average, significantly promotes GTFP by 3.2%. The positive effect of new-type urbanization on GTFP is correlated with promoting innovation, especially green innovation, and improving allocation efficiency. We do not find clear evidence for industrial upgrading, including industrial advancement and rationalization. This is because industrial upgrading is a gradual process and cannot be achieved shortly. Instead, we find that pilot cities might screen the entry of new firms and keep polluting firms out comparatively. The heterogeneous results indicate that the promotion effects on GTFP are more salient in regions with strong environmental regulation and adequate factor endowments. We have some practical implications for sustainable development in developing countries.

Towards more resilient economy—analyzing the impact of new-type urbanization on urban economic resilience: mechanisms and spatial spillover boundaries

Towards more resilient economy—analyzing the impact of new-type urbanization on urban economic resilience: mechanisms and spatial spillover boundaries

Towards more resilient cities-analyzing the impact of new-type urbanization on urban resilience: Considering spatial spillover boundaries

This paper examines the New-type Urbanization pilot policy (NTUP) and its influence on urban resilience, offering insights into how NTUP fosters a human-centric, sustainably coordinated, and inclusive model of urban development distinct from traditional approaches. This model plays a key role in enhancing urban capacities to confront economic, social, and environmental challenges, aiding in building more resilient cities. Notably, existing literature scarcely explores the relationship between NTUP and urban resilience, marking a significant gap this research aims to fill. Utilizing a multi-period DID model to examine panel data across 281 Chinese cities from 2006 to 2020, this study delves into NTUP's direct effects on urban resilience, its mechanisms, and spatial spillover boundaries. Findings reveal that: (1) NTUP enhances urban resilience, confirmed by a series of robustness tests. (2) NTUP significantly improves economic, infrastructure, and institutional resilience, while its influence on social resilience is minimal, and it detrimentally impacts ecological resilience. (3) Urban technology innovation and economic agglomeration are the primary mechanisms through which NTUP promotes urban resilience. (4) NTUP has a positive spatial spillover effect on the resilience of neighboring cities up to 350 km, with this effect shifting from a "radiation effect" to a "siphoning effect" as geographical distance increases.

Policy impact of national comprehensive pilot initiative for new-type urbanization on carbon emissions from rural energy consumption in China

Policy impact of national comprehensive pilot initiative for new-type urbanization on carbon emissions from rural energy consumption in China

Uncovering the Triple Synergy of New-Type Urbanization, Greening and Digitalization in China

The in-depth discussion and analysis of the synergistic effect of new-type urbanization, greening and digitalization (NUGD) is important for the achievement of sustainable social, ecological and economic development. Therefore, in this study, an evaluation index system composed of these three subsystems was constructed for Chinese cities from 2011 to 2021. The comprehensive and collaborative development levels of each subsystem were measured by means including the entropy weight method and the coupling coordination model, respectively. Then, methods such as ESDA and the Dagum Gini coefficient were applied to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution and spatial differences in the triple synergy effect of the NUGD system in Chinese cities. Finally, the constraining factors of the triple synergy effect were revealed using the obstacle degree model. The findings demonstrated the following: (1) Overall, the NUGD subsystems and their comprehensive levels were increasing, with moderate overall development levels. (2) The synergistic development of the NUGD system exhibited an upward trend. Spatially, the synergistic development level showed distinct differentiation, being higher in the east and lower in the west. The multidimensional dynamic variation characteristics obtained through kernel density estimation revealed that the triple synergy level exhibits high stability. (3) The differences within the east and between the eastern and western areas were the largest, with the intensity of transvariation as the main source. (4) The five criterion layers, including social and spatial urbanization variables, were the key constraints that affected the triple synergy of the NUGD in Chinese cities, and the restrictive role of factors such as the proportion of urban construction land and the per capita postal business volume should not be ignored. This study provides a valuable reference and decision-making guidance to promote China’s acceleration toward a new urbanization path supported by both digitalization and green transformation.

Characteristics and urbanization of agricultural migrants in the Yangtze River Delta based on new-type urbanization perspective

ABSTRACT Investigating the characteristics of the agricultural floating population stands as a fundamental prerequisite for fostering human urbanization and constitutes a pivotal aspect within the framework of people-centered New-type urbanization. Drawing upon data from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), this study delves into the age distribution, educational attainment, and other mobility traits of the agricultural migrant populace residing in the urban agglomeration of the Yangtze River Delta, alongside examining the patterns concerning their places of origin and settlement convergence. Furthermore, utilizing questionnaire data sourced from the CMDS, this paper proceeds to evaluate the urbanization level of the agricultural floating population. The findings of this research are threefold: Firstly, the age composition of the agricultural migrant cohort predominantly comprises youthful and middle-aged laborers, characterized by limited educational attainment and chiefly inter-provincial mobility. Secondly, within urban agglomerations, the agricultural migrant influx predominantly originates from Anhui Province, while beyond these urban centers, migrants predominantly hail from provinces noted for substantial labor outflows. Thirdly, a notable proportion, one-third to be precise, of the surveyed agricultural migrants express a willingness to settle in urban locales, thereby underscoring the imperative to enhance their integration into urban societal fabric and elevate their level of civic engagement.

Life makes cities greener: The impact of dual-policy of China in urban transformation on residents' green lifestyles

Promoting the formation of the green lifestyle (GL) is a crucial step in achieving comprehensive green transformation of urban economic and social development. The widespread adoption of GL is influenced by various environmental regulations. Previous research mainly focused on the impact of individual policies on GL from the single policy perspective. The mechanisms of the combined effects of policies have not been thoroughly explored, particularly the contributions of each policy during periods of overlap. This paper takes the dual-policy of the New-type Urbanization Policy (NUP) and Smart City Policy (SCP) in China as an example. It employs panel data collected from 271 cities in China during 2007–2019 and establishes a multi-period difference-in-difference model to identify the combined effects of the dual-policy on residents' GL. Additionally, the Shapley value decomposition method is utilized to identify the contribution magnitude of each policy when they act simultaneously. The following conclusions are yielded. Firstly, the combined effects of dual-policy are more effective than a single policy in influencing residents' GL. Secondly, the Shapley value decomposition method reveals that when both policies are simultaneously implemented, SCP contributes a greater weight compared to NUP. Thirdly, the dual-policy can promote residents' adoption of GL through mechanisms such as green technological innovation, public participation in environmental protection, and the agglomeration of tertiary industries. Fourthly, the impact of dual-policy on residents' GL varies across different types and sizes of cities. This study attempts to unseal the "black box" of how the dual-policy influences residents' GL during the green transformation of cities in China, providing theoretical references for relevant urban policies in other countries and contributing to Chinese solutions and experience to global urban green development.

Research on the Coupling Coordination and Driving Mechanisms of New-Type Urbanization and the Ecological Environment in China’s Yangtze River Delta

For high-quality growth to occur, new-type urbanization and environmental preservation must coexist and advance at the same time. The focus has shifted to maintain a balance between ecological quality and urbanization growth. This study focuses on the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in China, utilizing panel data from 41 cities in the YRD spanning from 2009 to 2021 to construct evaluation index systems for new (type of) urbanization and ecological environment. To analyze spatial-temporal evolutionary aspects and determine the causes of the degree of coupling coordination between new-type urbanization and the ecological environment, methodologies such as the entropy weight method, coupled coordination degree model, and Tobit regression approach were used. The results show that (1) economic urbanization has experienced the most growth in the level of new-type urbanization in the YRD, which has been steadily increasing. Moreover, the ecological environment evaluation score increased from 0.581 in 2009 to 0.701 in 2021, revealing a cyclical pattern of increase and decrease in its evolutionary trajectory. (2) Within the scope of the study, the overall coupling coordination degree between new-type urbanization and ecological environment has increased, with the average value rising from 0.512 in 2009 to 0.540 in 2021. In comparison to Lishui, Huaibei, Huainan, Ningbo, Chuzhou, and Bozhou saw a greater increase in coupling and coordination degree, with pronounced variations and clustering patterns visible in their spatial distribution. (3) According to the Tobit regression analysis, the level of economic development, technological progress, industrial concentration, global openness, and educational investment had significant positive effects on the degree of coupled coordination between new-type urbanization and the ecological environment in the YRD, whereas the level of information technology did not reach the significance threshold. The findings of the study are crucial for establishing a regional framework for green and sustainable development, as well as for facilitating the coordinated growth of new-type urbanization and ecological environment. These findings hold great potential for driving positive change in both urban development and environmental conservation efforts.

The Impact of New-Type Urbanization Policy on Urban Green Total Factor Productivity: New Evidence from China

China’s new-type urbanization has been instrumental in fostering high-quality economic and social progress. This research explores the impact and underlying mechanisms of the new-type urbanization policy on urban green total factor productivity (GTFP) by analyzing a sample of 165 Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2009 to 2020. Utilizing the difference-in-differences (DID) approach, the study uncovers several key findings: (1) compared to non-pilot areas, the new-type urbanization policy significantly boosts urban GTFP by 43.5%, supporting a shift towards more sustainable and eco-friendly urban growth; (2) the analysis of impact mechanisms indicates that these policies enhance urban GTFP through technological innovation and environmental regulation; and (3) the urban agglomeration model test reveals that being part of an urban agglomeration amplifies the effects of the new-type urbanization policy on GTFP. These results underscore the significance of these policies in driving sustainable and high-quality urban development in China, offering valuable insights for policymakers to formulate and implement effective urbanization strategies.

Do new-type urbanisation pilots narrow urban household carbon emission differences between cities? A temporal-spatial within-between decomposition analysis

The relationship between urbanisation and carbon emissions has been widely discussed. However, whether new-type urbanisation, which aims to achieve green development, helps reduce urban household carbon emissions (UHC), remains unclear. By expanding the temporal-spatial within-between refined Laspeyres index decomposition model with data from 236 Chinese cities from 2015 to 2021, this study investigated the differences in UHC between pilot and non-pilot cities under the new-type urbanisation pilot policy and further explored the drivers of these differences. The temporal decomposition results highlighted the changes and their drivers in UHC between pilot and non-pilot cities. UHC have increased in both types of cities, with the increase linked to higher urbanisation rates, greater carbon intensity, and rising incomes. However, the energy intensity and the urban-rural income gap effects helped curb the extent of the increase. Although a higher level of UHC existed in the pilot cities, the new-type urbanisation pilot policy helped narrow the gap in UHC between pilot and non-pilot cities, thus curbing UHC. The spatial decomposition results further explored the causes of the UHC gap between pilot and non-pilot cities. The within-between decomposition results suggested that, for pilot cities, those with higher UHC than the pilot-group average should close the gap with the group average, whereas those with lower UHC than the national average should close the gap with the national average. The findings present a useful reference for balancing urbanisation with a low-carbon household sector.

Assessment of coupling coordination between China’s digital economy and new-type urbanization and identification of driving factors

Assessment of coupling coordination between China’s digital economy and new-type urbanization and identification of driving factors

Decomposing the comprehensive efficiency of major cities into divisions on governance, ICT and sustainability: network slack-based measure model

The rapid urbanization and population growth in major cities have given rise to enduring urban challenges, prompting local governments to assess urban development performance and customize urban planning strategies to meet these challenges. This study aims to formulate an evaluation framework for the comprehensive efficiency of major cities, centering on governance, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and sustainability as fundamental aspects. Distinct from prior research, the framework employs the network slack-based measure (SBM) to unravel efficiency, concurrently scrutinizing input/output slack and link efficiency. Utilizing the network SBM model, the study assesses the comprehensive operational efficiencies of 38 major Chinese cities spanning from 2015 to 2019. The application of the Kruskal–Wallis test discerns differences in comprehensive efficiency between coastal and inland areas. The results indicate that governance, ICT, and sustainability significantly influence the comprehensive operations of cities. In addition to general and short-term policies, the implementation of the National New-Type Urbanization Plan by the Chinese central government has led to an increase in the number of cities demonstrating sustainable efficiency. Despite fluctuations in the efficiency gap during the study period, coastal cities consistently outperform their inland counterparts in terms of efficiency. Persistent geographical disparities underscore the imperative for balanced development. While acknowledging positive strides in sustainable urbanization, the study emphasizes the ongoing necessity to address the adverse impacts of urban development, positioning governance, ICT, and sustainability as indispensable elements in confronting the multifaceted challenges inherent in urban development. The research findings contribute significantly to the field of urban efficiency evaluation, accentuating the collaborative impact of governance, ICT, and sustainability.

Effects of new-type urbanization on resource pressure: Evidence from a water-energy-food system perspective in China

To address the resource and environmental challenges posed by rapid urbanization, China has devised and executed the strategy of new-type urbanization (NU). This study aims to discuss the effects of NU on resource pressure in view of the water-energy-food (WEF) system. Taking 30 provinces in China from 2006 to 2020 as samples, this paper firstly establishes a comprehensive evaluation indicator system of NU from the population, economic, spatial, social and eco-environmental dimensions, and assesses the level of NU using the entropy weight method. Secondly, this paper uses the gray water footprint as a measurement indicator, innovatively integrating water quality into the WEF system for assessing WEF system pressure (WEFSP). Finally, the impact of NU on WEFSP is explored based on the panel fixed effects model. The findings revealed: (1) There is an inverted “U-shaped” relationship between NU and WEFSP, and China's current level of NU has exceeded the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) threshold. (2) The impact of NU on WEFSP exhibits significant regional heterogeneity, with a significant impact in the eastern region. (3) NU consistently exacerbates regional water stress when water quality is considered, indicating that sustainable urban water management practices are essential. (4) The subdimensions of NU indicate that population and social urbanization are important factors that exacerbate the WEFSP, while economic and spatial urbanization reduce the WEFSP. The research results help to clarify the impact of NU on the WEFSP and provide a reference for the timely adjustment and optimization of NU policies to achieve effective resource management and regional sustainable development.

The Driving effect of industrial upgrading on new-type urbanization in Zhejiang Province

The process of urbanization is supported by the economic foundation and accompanied by the upgrading of industrial structure. At present, the new-type urbanization of Zhejiang is in the stage of rapid development, and the upgrading of industrial structure is continuously and stably advanced and rational. Urban and rural development and urban construction are gradually moving towards a higher level. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the driving effect of industrial upgrading on the new-type urbanization in Zhejiang Province for studying how to further promote the new-type urbanization process in China. Based on the analysis of industrial structure upgrading and urbanization in Zhejiang Province, this paper adopts the entropy weighting method to comprehensively evaluate the new-type urbanization level of each city in Zhejiang Province. Using panel data from 2009 to 2018, empirical analysis is made on the influencing factors of new-type urbanization level score of each city in Zhejiang Province. The influence of industrial structure upgrading index and other factors on the new-type urbanization level in Zhejiang province is obtained, which provides reference for Zhejiang and other regions to guide the industrial upgrading and improve the new-type urbanization development level.

Does New Urbanization Support the Rural Inclusive Green Development under Domestic Circulation in China?

New urbanization is an endogenous driving force to enhance domestic circulation. Driving the development of rural industries with urbanization to achieve interactive symbiosis has become an important topic to promote the coordinated development of urban and rural green. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2009 to 2021, this paper constructs an evaluation index system for new urbanization and rural inclusive green development, and uses principal component analysis and panel regression model to analyze the impact of new-type urbanization on inclusive green development in rural areas. The results of the study show the following: (1) Rural inclusive green development and new urbanization have been significantly improved during the study period, but there are significant regional differences. (2) The construction of the new urbanization significantly promotes rural inclusive green development, but there is significant spatial heterogeneity. This effect is more significant in the Eastern and Central regions. (3) Population urbanization, land urbanization, social urbanization, and environmental urbanization can effectively promote rural inclusive green development, but economic urbanization will have a negative impact on green development in the countryside during the study period. Therefore, it is necessary to further strengthen the leading role of central cities and urban agglomerations, to promote the countryside with the city and at the same time to combat environmental pollution and to create ecologically livable towns and villages. In addition, the government should strengthen top-level design, provide industrial support to backward areas, improve the spatial layout of urbanization, and promote the deepening of new urbanization.