Search

The diverse value of rural areas has been gradually highlighted, and promoting the sustainable development of rural areas with the theoretical guidance of rural multifunction is the key to realizing rural revitalization. This study defined the concept of rural multifunction from the perspective of resident's demands and divided it into five main functions including rural agricultural production, nonagricultural production, living, ecological environment, and social security. By constructing the evaluation index system of rural multifunction, we analysed the spatial distribution characteristics of 160 villages of Jingjiang in Jiangsu Province. And functional combinations were identified to select targeted rural development paths oriented by balanced development of rural multifunction. The results showed the following. (1) The development of various rural functions in Jingjiang city was uneven, and agricultural production function still dominated. (2) The villages with strong agricultural production function were mainly concentrated in the northwest, while the villages with a high level of nonagricultural production function were mostly distributed in the industrial parks or around towns. There is still much room for improvement in social security function, especially in areas dominated by nonagricultural production. Nonagricultural production function had a negative effect on the ecological environment function, which is contrary to the agricultural production function. (3) Balanced development rather than equal development of rural functions should be pursued to achieve multifunctionality. Scientific guidance for the functional growth of villages in Jingjiang city and theoretical support for the microscale evaluation of rural multifunction and its application were provided by the research results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws upon smart growth theory to provide an analytical framework of "smart identification" for industrial land to be readjusted. Huai'an city, Jiangsu province, China, is selected as a case example for the developed framework. Unlike the identification method of efficiency orientation for stock industrial land, which emphasizes the core goal of input and output of production factors per unit area, the smart identification framework covers the five dimensions of industrial policy, urban planning, socioeconomic benefits, transportation convenience, and environment protection. The framework pays more attention to the characteristics of high-quality socioeconomic development, including innovation-driven, coordinated, and sustainable development. Industrial land blocks are used as the research unit. A total of 1,552 industrial land blocks are identified for readjustment, covering an area of 4,008.7 hm2 and accounting for 54.3% of the total industrial land area in Huai'an city; this shows that considerable potential exists for adjustment. We argue that the evaluation index selection of intensive industrial land use and the method by which industrial land is identified for readjustment is influenced by the stage of socioeconomic development. The smart identification method is more consistent with the connotation of high-quality development, and more conducive to revealing the current demand and change law of industrial land against the background of industrial transformation and upgrading, which is of great significance with regard to promoting the intensive use and spatial optimization of industrial land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]