Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration Research Articles

The Coupling Coordination and Influencing Factors of Urbanization and Ecological Resilience in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China

Twenty-six cities in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration were taken as the research object, and this study comprehensively evaluated urbanization quality and ecological resilience from 2005 to 2020. On this basis, the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and main influencing factors of the coupling relationship between urbanization and ecological resilience were systematically explored using a coupling coordination model and panel Tobit regression model. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) from 2005 to 2020, the quality of urbanization in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration continued to grow, the level of ecological resilience grew slowly and fluctuated, and the development among municipalities tended to be balanced. (2) The overall coupling coordination degree of urbanization and ecological resilience showed a continuous increasing trend, and the coupling coordination type changed from basic coupling coordination to good coupling coordination. The number of cities with lagging urbanization quality decreased significantly; spatially, the gap in the coupling coordination degree between municipalities narrowed, and the cities with good coupling gradually clustered. (3) The results of the panel Tobit regression showed that the differences in the spatial evolution of coupling coordination mainly resulted from the interaction of drivers such as real utilized foreign capital, per capita GDP, carbon emission intensity, the proportion of science and technology expenditure to fiscal expenditure, the ratio of per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents, fixed asset investment in municipal utility construction, and the index of ecological land area ratio. In the future, the coupling coordination degree of urbanization and ecological resilience should be improved based on the type of coupling coordination according to local conditions, and the seven influencing factors should be carefully examined to accelerate the high-quality integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.

Research on spatial-temporal heterogeneity of driving factors of green innovation efficiency in Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration—empirical test based on the Geographically Weighted Regression model

Firstly, based on the data of 40 cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2010 to 2019, the paper uses the Unexpected Super-SBM model to estimate the green innovation efficiency of each city. On this basis, the paper establishes a Geographically Weighted Regression model to explore the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of the effects of influencing factors on green innovation efficiency. The findings indicate that: The direction and strength of each influencing element on the green innovation efficiency of the Yangtze River Delta cities are varied at the urban spatial scale. The degree of opening up significantly boosts the green innovation efficiency, but the impact intensity shows spatial differences. The green innovation efficiency is promoted by government technology support, but its intensity tends to weaken. In addition, financial support has a negative impact on most cities. Over time, the impact of economic development level on urban green innovation efficiency has changed from inhibition to promotion, and the impact intensity tends to weaken. Industrial structure and environmental regulation tend to show two effects of promotion and obstruction in different cities from weak inhibition. Industrial structure and environmental regulation tend to show two effects of promotion and obstruction in different cities from weak inhibition. The research conclusion of this paper has important theoretical significance and practical value for accelerating the construction of a green, low-carbon and circular economic system in the Yangtze River Delta region, and achieving the “dual carbon” goal.

Health risk ranking of antibiotic resistance genes in the Yangtze River

Antibiotic resistance is an escalating global health concern, exacerbated by the pervasive presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in natural environments. The Yangtze River, the world's third-longest river, traversing areas with intense human activities, presents a unique ecosystem for studying the impact of these genes on human health. Here, we explored ARGs in the Yangtze River, examining 204 samples from six distinct habitats of approximately 6000 km of the river, including free-living and particle-associated settings, surface and bottom sediments, and surface and bottom bank soils. Employing shotgun sequencing, we generated an average of 13.69 Gb reads per sample. Our findings revealed a significantly higher abundance and diversity of ARGs in water-borne bacteria compared to other habitats. A notable pattern of resistome coalescence was observed within similar habitat types. In addition, we developed a framework for ranking the risk of ARG and a corresponding method for calculating the risk index. Applying them, we identified water-borne bacteria as the highest contributors to health risks, and noted an increase in ARG risks in particle-associated bacteria correlating with heightened anthropogenic activities. Further analysis using a weighted ARG risk index pinpointed the Chengdu–Chongqing and Yangtze River Delta urban agglomerations as regions of elevated health risk. These insights provide a critical new perspective on ARG health risk assessment, highlighting the urgent need for strategies to mitigate the impact of ARGs on human health and to preserve the ecological and economic sustainability of the Yangtze River for future human use.

What is the Nighttime Light Interaction I ndex? Validations at Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomerations

What is the Nighttime Light Interaction I ndex? Validations at Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomerations

Research on the synergistic degree assessment methods and its applications of air pollution collaborative governance in Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Research on the synergistic degree assessment methods and its applications of air pollution collaborative governance in Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Environmental fate and health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration during the 21st century

Understanding the spatiotemporal distribution and behavior of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the context of climate change and human activities is essential for effective environmental management and public health protection. This study utilized an integrated simulation system that combines land-use, hydrological, and multimedia fugacity models to predict the concentrations, transportation, and degradation of 16 priority-controlled PAHs across six environmental compartments (air, water, soil, sediment, vegetation, and impermeable surfaces) within one of the world's prominent urban agglomerations, the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA), under future Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP)-Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios. Incremental lifetime carcinogenic risk for adults and children exposed to PAHs were also evaluated. The results show a declining trend in PAHs concentrations and associated health risks during the 21st century. Land use types, hydrological characteristics, population, and GDP, have significant correlations with the fate of PAHs. The primary removal for PAHs is determined to be driven by advection through air and water. PAHs covering on impermeable surfaces pose a relatively higher health risk compared to those in other environmental media. This study offers valuable insights into PAHs pollution in the YRDUA, aiming to ensure public health safety, with the potential for application in other urban areas.

Spatial Effects of Railway Network Construction on Urban Sprawl and Its Mechanisms: Evidence from Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China

Urban sprawl has become a notable feature in China. Previous studies have found that railway development has a significant effect on urban sprawl. However, the detailed mechanisms of how railways affect urban sprawl have not been studied in depth. Furthermore, China’s railway system has already formed a network. The network status of cities within the railway network may affect urban sprawl, but few studies have examined this factor. In this context, to explore the effects of railway networks on urban sprawl and the mechanisms of these effects, this study applied the social network analysis (SNA) method to measure the indicators of railway network characteristics and conducted panel model regression with the above indicators using the data from 26 cities from 2011 to 2019 in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in China. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Railway network construction has a significantly positive impact on urban sprawl through the network agglomeration and diffusion mechanisms. (2) The network agglomeration mechanism improves the location condition of the central cities on the railway network, which encourages urban sprawl as an agglomeration pattern. (3) The network diffusion mechanism enhances the integration of the peripheral cities with the central city on the railway network, which encourages urban sprawl as a diffusion pattern. The network diffusion mechanism is heterogeneous in metropolitan areas (MAs) for the different levels of central city agglomeration. The findings provide a reference for railway construction and urban planning.

Intrinsic mechanisms and spatial effects of multidimensional urbanization and carbon emissions.

Existing studies on urbanization and carbon emissions are mostly based on a single pathway and lack the support of a theoretical framework. This study innovatively integrates Grossman's perspective of environmental effects analysis to develop a new framework to interpret the mechanism of multidimensional urbanization (MU) and carbon emissions (CEs). We first explored the spatial effects of MUs and CEs in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRDUA) and then introduced the "population-land-economic" urbanization variables into the S-STIRPAT model to determine the impact mechanisms of each factor on CEs under different urbanization dimensions. The results show that the spatiotemporal development patterns of MUs and CEs overlap to some extent. The Shanghai-Nanjing line is a high-value area of urbanization with different dimensions, as some edge cities are in low-value areas. However, there are local differences in the different dimensions of urbanization, e.g., population urbanization in the southern area is in a high-value area. CEs show a core-edge structure of "high in the center and low in the north and south". All factors, except for population urbanization, affect CEs locally, and their spillover effects are all positive, except for energy intensity, which has a negative influence on CEs in neighboring regions. Land urbanization has the largest positive impact on CEs, with a total effect coefficient of 0.409; economic urbanization has a coefficient of 0.195, and population urbanization has a coefficient of only 0.070. The findings can help to maximize urbanization growth while minimizing harmful environmental externalities.

The driving factors and spatial evolution of industrial water pollution governance efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration in China.

In order to explore the effective path to improve the efficiency of industrial water pollution governance efficiency (WGE), this study takes 27 prefecture-level cities in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration in China as the research object, measures WGE through the improved SBM model, and tests the impact of WGE drivers using the spatial Durbin model (SDM). The study found that environmental pollution governance investment (EPGI) is positively correlated with WGE, and industrial agglomeration status (IAS) has inhibitory effects on the improvement of WGE. By testing IAS2, it was determined that the impact of IAS on WGE has a "U"-shaped relationship. The direct impact of EPGI on WGE is 0.5016, and the indirect impact on WGE is 0.6428; the direct impact of IAS on WGE is -0.3036, and the indirect impact on WGE is -0.5158. Among the other tested impact drivers, per capita GDP (PCG), industrial structure (IS), and level of technological innovation (TIL) are positively correlated with the dependent variable WGE, while energy consumption intensity (ECI), environmental regulation intensity (ERI), and degree of openness to foreign investment (FIR) are negatively correlated with the dependent variable WGE. In addition to the impact of the aforementioned main drivers, IAS and EPGI, these six drivers also largely influence and determine the final impact on WGE.

Spatio‐temporal pattern evolution and driving factors of A‐level logistics enterprises in Yangtze River Delta

SummaryIn this paper, standard deviation ellipse, spatial autocorrelation, cold hot spot analysis, kernel density estimation, and other spatial analysis models are first used to analyze the evolution process and spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of A‐level logistics enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta. Secondly, a regression model is used to analyze the main factors driving the evolution of the spatial and temporal patterns of A‐level logistics enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta. The research finds that the development of A‐level logistics enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration generally presents a trend that increasing number and unbalanced development of enterprises of different levels. Regional economic strength, regional policy, transportation accessibility, cargo transportation capacity, and port development level are the main factors driving the evolution of the spatial and temporal pattern of A‐level logistics enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta.

Research on the Measurement and Coupling Coordination of the Development Level of Material Civilization and Spiritual Civilization under the Background of Chinese path to modernization

The modernization of material civilization and spiritual civilization is an important feature of Chinese path to modernization. It is difficult for a nation without spiritual strength to stand on its own, and it is difficult for a cause without cultural support to last for a long time. Based on the background of Chinese path to modernization, this paper will build two subsystems of material civilization development level and spiritual civilization development level. Based on the panel data of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration from 2006 to 2021, the two subsystems will be measured by entropy method, and then the coupling coordination degree model will be introduced to measure the two subsystems. Finally, the dynamic evolution of coupled scheduling for the development level of material civilization and spiritual civilization is studied through kernel density estimation method, combined with Gini coefficient and decomposition method Differential analysis of spatial regions. The study found that the overall evaluation value of the development level of material and spiritual civilization in the Yangtze River Delta region h as increased, and the gap between cities is significant. The coupling coordination degree of the two subsystems of material civilization and spiritual civilization development level is constantly rising, but the overall average value is low, with significant regional differences, and there is still great potential for development.

A study of the economic growth effects of market integration: An examination of 27 cities in the Yangtze River Delta city cluster.

The city cluster of the Yangtze River Delta is a highly dynamic and competitive economic region in China. The integration of the market across the 27 cities is crucial in driving economic growth in the area. This paper aims to provide policymakers with recommendations on promoting regional integration, enhancing the structure, and improving overall performance. By utilizing the benefits and resources of each community more effectively, greater economic gains can be achieved. The findings of this study can also be applied to other Chinese towns or business areas. Market integration is a necessary foundation for regional integration, as it enables the seamless movement of goods and factors throughout the region while simultaneously reducing entry barriers and supporting the creation of a unified market. Unfortunately, the "vassal economy" model has impeded the region's economic growth. The integration of regional markets is crucial for economic growth. However, it is equally important to create industrial clusters with central towns as their hubs. The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration is a prime example of one of six world-class city clusters demonstrating how market integration can result in high-quality economic progress. The paper's primary discoveries are threefold: firstly, there has been a progressive elevation in the level of market integration among the 27 cities within the Yangtze River Delta city cluster, characterized by increasingly intimate connections concerning trade, investment, and population mobility. Secondly, this heightened market integration exerts a catalytic impact on the real economic growth of the Yangtze River Delta city cluster, particularly concerning regional industrial restructuring, transformation, and upgrading. Finally, market integration is poised to expedite the industrial division of labor and synergistic development between the cities, thus promoting a concentration of advanced manufacturing and new industries in the central cities and furthering the development of profitable industries in the central individual cities.

Unleashing the convergence between SDG 9 and SDG 8 towards pursuing SDGs: Evidence from two urban agglomerations in China during the 13th five-year plan

Cities play a pivotal role in China's sustainable economic progress, serving as focal points for various developmental elements. This study offers a novel perspective, delving into two crucial dimensions of urban advancement: industrial infrastructure and economic growth. This research assesses the sustainable development efficiency of 36 cities within the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRDUA) and the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration (PRDUA), using specific indicators aligned with SDG9 and SDG8. To conduct this evaluation, the study employs the Meta-Frontier Window Network DDF Data Envelopment Analysis considering both the stability and enhancements in urban sustainable development efficiency over a five-year policy span. The key findings are as follows: 1) Urbanization emerges as a driver of sustainable development efficiency. However, while Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Zhuhai have attained optimal levels, their internal efficiency stability remains a concern; 2) During the 13th Five-Year Plan, Nantong, Changzhou, and Wuxi showcased significant performance improvements. In contrast, Jiangmen experienced a notable decline of 64.72%; 3) Focusing on subsystems, the Resilient Industrial and Infrastructure Subsystem displays superior efficiency compared to the Sustainable Economic Growth Subsystem. Yet, it's essential to note that neither subsystem has achieved optimal efficiency across most regions; 4) Geographically, the urban sustainable efficiency of YRDUA appears evenly distributed, with ample room for improvement in most cities. In contrast, PRDUA demonstrates an efficiency increase from its periphery to its core. Through this comprehensive exploration, the study provides valuable insights into the intricate relationship between urbanization, sustainable development efficiency, and regional disparities.

Spatial correlation network structure of energy-environment efficiency and its driving factors: a case study of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Improving energy-environment efficiency is not only a requirement for constructing China’s ecological civilization but also inevitable for achieving sustainable economic and social development. Studies on energy-environment efficiency based on relational data and network perspectives are limited, which hinders the development of collaborative regional emission reduction activities. This study uses the SBM-Undesirable model to measure the energy-environment efficiency of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration from 2010 to 2020, adopts a modified gravity model and social network analysis to reveal the structural characteristics of its spatial correlation network, and explores its driving factors through the QAP method. The study found (1) an overall upward trend in energy-environment efficiency but with problems of uneven development. (2) The spatial correlation of energy-environment efficiency shows a complex network structure, with increasing network correlation and strong network stability; the network can be divided into four plates: net benefit, net overflow, two-way spillover, and agent. (3) Differences in industrial structure, environmental regulation, economic development, and technological innovation significantly impact the formation of spatial correlation network of energy-environment efficiency. This study provides a reference for the construction of a cross-regional synergistic mechanism to improve energy-environment efficiency.

High-quality development efficiency in Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration: analysis of spatiotemporal evaluation and influencing factors

High-quality development efficiency in Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration: analysis of spatiotemporal evaluation and influencing factors

How does the digital economy affect ecological well-being performance? Evidence from three major urban agglomerations in China

The booming digital economy (DIG) has deeply altered the pattern of people’s lives and production and plays a key role in increasing human well-being and achieving urban sustainability. This study investigates the relationship between the DIG and ecological well-being performance (EWP) in the urban agglomerations of Yangtze River Delta (YRD), Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) and Pearl River Delta (PRD) from 2010 to 2020. The main results are as follows. Overall, the DIG can significantly enhance EWP. In terms of spatial spillover effect, there is no spatial spillover effect in BTH and YRD urban agglomerations, and there is a negative spatial spillover effect in PRD urban agglomerations. The overall performance is that the DIG promotes the growth of EWP in the region, while the increase of DIG in the neighboring regions will hinder the enhancement of EWP in the region. In terms of regional heterogeneity, the size of the direct contribution of the DIG to EWP is “PRD > YRD > BTH”. Finally, technological innovation and industrial structure optimization are mechanism variables. This study offers direction for improving EWP.

Impact of urbanization on net carbon sink efficiency in economically developed area: A case study of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, China

Reducing carbon emissions and improving vegetation carbon sequestration (VCS) have long been recognized as the key ways to address the aim of carbon neutrality, requiring global effort and typical regional experiences. This paper develops an assessment framework for measuring the net carbon sink efficiency (NCSE) based on the concept of net-zero carbon sink to depict both carbon emission and VCS simultaneously. This paper primarily runs a spatial autocorrelation analysis to explore spatial characteristics of urbanization and NCSE of Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRD) in China from 2000 to 2020, followed by employs a spatial econometric model to investigate the spatial spillover effect of urbanization on NCSE. The results show that NCSE in YRD exhibits clear spatial disparities, descending from the southern part dominated by mountainous hills to the flatter northern region. The spatial evolutionary trend of urbanization and NCSE has a significant positive correlation, manifested as H-H and L-L agglomeration, covering most counties in southeast coastal areas and northern plains, respectively. The NCSE can improve even during the continued urbanization in YRD. Specifically, for every 1% increase in urbanization, NCSE will increase by 0.164%, of which 0.118% in direct and 0.046% in indirect growth, respectively. In addition, GDP per capita, industrial structure, technological progress, road area and direct foreign investment are benefit for NCSE. In contrast, population density, environmental regulation, and built-up area tend to decline NCSE. These findings may help to formulate the urban sustainable development planning and differentiated carbon neutrality policies.

Can regional integration promote industrial green transformation? Empirical evidence from Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Can regional integration promote industrial green transformation? Empirical evidence from Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Synergistic relationship and interact driving factors of pollution and carbon reduction in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, China.

The urban agglomeration is the most concentrated region of economy, population, and industry. It is also the key area of carbon emissions (CE) and air pollution management. CE and air pollution have the possibility of collaborative governance due to the same root and the same source of them. To achieve the goal of sustainable development, it is important to study the coordinated relationship of CE and atmosphere pollutants in urban agglomerations. However, most researches have ignored the synergistic relationship between CE and air pollutants. Furthermore, there is limited current study on the driving factors of the synergistic relationship between air pollutants and CE. To fill these research gaps, we first explore the spatial-temporal evolvement law of CE and PM2.5 utilizing satellite remote sensing data sets. Secondly, we analyze the synergistic relationship of CE and PM2.5 in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) urban agglomeration using the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model from 2000 to 2020. At last, we further study the influencing factors of the synergistic relationship of CE and PM2.5 based on the geo-detector model. The findings display that (1) in 2020, the total CE in the YRD urban agglomeration is 2.24 billion tons, accounting for 22.5% of China, but its growth rate has gradually dropped to 7.25%. Besides, the PM2.5 concentration shows a waving upward-downward tendency. In 2020, the range of higher PM2.5 regions significantly decreased, and air quality gradually improved. (2) The CCD of PM2.5 and CE is at the coordination level in general (CCD > 0.6) between 2000 and 2020, which can realize the coordinated governance of pollution and carbon reduction. (3) Digital elevation model (DEM), topographic relief (RDLS), and population density have a higher degree of influence on the synergistic relationship between CE and PM2.5. Besides, the interaction of topographic and socio-economic factors is the main driving factor between the two. This paper can provide a referral for decision-makers to synergistically make plans for pollution and carbon reduction and facilitate the sustainable development of urban agglomerations.

Investigating and improving the ecological efficiency of urban agglomeration based on Super-SBM model.

The management of ecological efficiency (eco-efficiency) is of great significance to promote the sustainable development of urban agglomerations. The objective of this research is to evaluate the eco-efficiency of urban agglomerations. Taking the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA) as a case study, this study evaluated the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of the eco-efficiency by using the Super-SBM model. Additionally, the factors that affect the efficiency fluctuations are analyzed by decomposing the Global Malmquist-Luenberger (GML) index and the input-output redundancy rates are measured. The study additionally put forth a conceptual framework aimed at evaluating eco-efficiency within the context of urban agglomerations. The findings indicated that the eco-efficiency of the YRDUA had not reached the effective level with noticeable variations across different regions. The resource redundancy of the YRDUA was severe and negatively correlated with eco-efficiency. Environmental pollution was the primary cause of efficiency loss. Technological progress was the main driving factor of regional total factor productivity (TFP), but technical efficiency still needed to be improved. Therefore, it is urgent for the YRDUA to improve the efficiency of its industrial structure and foster the harmonious growth of various sectors, in order to achieve the sustainable utilization of natural resources and the preservation of the ecological environment.