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This paper constructs the system of urban high-quality development index from the six dimensions of economy, innovation, coordination, green, open and sharing. It measures the high-quality development level of cities in 31 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) of China from 2004 to 2019 by entropy method, analyzes the spatial distribution and spatial correlation of high-quality development level of Chinese cities by using global spatial auto-correlation and hot-spot analysis and analyzes its driving factors by geographical detector model. The results show that: (1) the overall change of high quality development level of cities during the period of investigation is stable and slightly increased. The regional level is high in the eastern coastal areas and low in the western remote areas. Overall level of development: the eastern part>overall>middle part>the west area. (2) The high-quality development level of the city has significant spatial agglomeration characteristics, and the overall spatial distribution characteristics is "East hot west cold", hot spot range from "striped" gradually evolved into "clump", while the cold point range gradually transferred to the northwest region; hot spots have radiation-driven effect on the surrounding areas, and hot spot district have a "eviction weakening" effect on cold spot areas. (3) Innovation has the strongest effect on the high-quality development of cities, followed by open development, coordinated development and economic development, while the impact of green development and shared development is weaker; and the interaction between driving factors is greater than the independent effect of single factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid economic development has led to urban sprawl and threatens river systems. In this paper, we used geographic information system (GIS) techniques to examine the effects of urbanisation on the water resources of the Yanggong River watershed in Lijiang City, and analysed the temporal changes in river systems and their impacts on watershed ecosystem functions. The total length of the river systems in the Yanggong River watershed decreased from 786.9 km in 1995 to 674.2 km in 2009 and is predicted to continue to decrease by 35.5 km in the next 11 years according to various data sources. The decrease in river system density started in the Old Town of Lijiang and gradually spread to the surrounding areas. Our analysis shows that urbanisation is failing to take into account the impacts on river systems and their functions, which could cause a reduction in the size of the river systems and degradation of watershed ecosystem functions in the Yanggong River watershed of Lijiang City. It is suggested that protecting the natural river network and making full use of the advantages of the distinctive terrain in the Yanggong River watershed could contribute to the sustainability of urban development in Lijiang City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase of global integration, the peri-urban area (PUA) of megacities in Asia has become a favourite destination for foreign direct investment (FDI). This paper uses the PUA of Shanghai as a case study to investigate the impact of global forces on the urban expansion of the city, and the link between urban growth and sustainable development in this mega-urban context. Shanghai has grown impressively during the past two decades in terms of economic and physical transformation. Much of this transformation has rested on the unbridled exploitation of land and other environmental resources in its peri-urban area. This is characterised by the designation of development zones and the concentration of manufacturing FDI, resulting in dispersed growth and environmental degradation. The disruption of the physical environment, combined with the concentration of the urban poor in these areas (in particular ‘temporary migrants’), has turned the PUA into a potential crisis point threatening the social and economic development of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]