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Small cities located on the periphery of large cities have long faced challenges such as difficulties in economic development and population loss, especially in China. The concentration of a few super-large cities in China has hindered the growth of per capita income in most small cities and led to a widening income gap between cities. In addition, studies have shown that central cities can have a polarizing impact on surrounding areas thereby hindering economic growth. To address these issues, this paper examines Baoding, a small city close to the capital, Beijing. Through literature and policy research, we analyse how Baoding can take advantage of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration policy and pursue its urban development in the presence of neighbouring large cities. By providing theoretical suggestions the research contributes to Baodin's urban development through five potential industries: healthcare, automotive, electronics, digital, and tourism. Furthermore, we emphasize the practical contributions such as: the importance of higher education as a key driver of sustainable development for the city. Based on our analysis, we suggest that Baoding's strategic development direction should be aligned with Beijing's needs while recognizing that such alignment is merely a means to an end. The goal of urban development should always be to improve the living standards and well-being of citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green development is a significant concept that cannot be ignored in contemporary society. However, in the context of China's transition from high-speed growth to high-quality development, the complex impact of urban development has brought great challenges to the urban green environment. In this paper, the impact of urban development on green development efficiency (GDE) was studied. First and foremost, a Super-SBM model was introduced to measure the GDE of 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta during 2009–2018. Moreover, a Tobit model was used to analyze the correlation between four urban development factors, including economic development and GDE. According to the results, the mean GDE of the Yangtze River Delta is 0.824, and the GDE in most cities there has shown a fluctuating growth trend in this decade. By comparison, the GDEs of coastal cities and cities in the southeast of the Yangtze River Delta were generally higher than those of cities in the north, indicating that the green development is geographically unbalanced, and there is spatial heterogeneity in the area studied. The study's results also suggest that the urban economic development, innovation level, and government planning play a significant role in stimulating urban green development, and that the expansion of urban construction area hinders the improvement of GDE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]