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Identifying and measuring urban spatial structure is a prerequisite for understanding urban spatial characteristics, formulating urban development strategies and testing urban planning results. As important data sources that can visually reflect the spatial distribution characteristics of urban socio-economic and other physical elements, urban points of interest (POI) and nighttime light data play an important role in the study of urban spatial structure. In this study, the main urban areas of 36 cities of the Three Northeast Provinces (Heilongjiang Province, Jilin Province, Liaoning Province) were selected as the study area, the POI (6,553,294 points of interest) and nighttime light data from 2010, 2016, and 2022 were chosen as the basic research data, and the methods of point kernel density estimation, data griddedness, and multifactor combination mapping were used to analyze the developmental dynamics of the urban spatial structure. The study demonstrated: (1) The spatial coupling consistency of POI and nighttime light data in the main urban areas of the Three Northeast Provinces was high, and both had good applicability in urban spatial structure research; (2) POI and nighttime light values formed the spatial pattern of "axis + core − periphery" with Shenyang, Dalian, Changchun and Harbin as the core, while the coupling relationship between the POI and nighttime light data identified that the main urban areas in the Three Northeast Provinces presented a centralized agglomeration type, a decentralized grouping type, a belt combination type and a radial expansion type urban spatial structure; (3) From the perspective of changes in the coupling relationship between POI and nighttime light, most of the main urban areas of resource-mature cities, resource-regeneration cities and non-resource cities were affected by the regional development agglomeration and the "T" railway network, and the "high/medium–high/medium" area showed an expanding tendency; most of the main urban areas of resource-decline cities were affected by the lower development potential and the deprivation of economic factors by the surrounding core cities, while the "high/medium–high/medium" areas showed a contracting tendency. The results of the study can provide a scientific basis and theoretical reference for the future adjustment of urban spatial structure, planning and construction as well as resource allocation in the main urban areas of the cities in the Three Northeast Provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Implementing Territorial Ecological Restoration is a crucial approach to achieving ecological stability and regional sustainable development, and it also serves as an important measure for promoting the coordinated development of socioeconomic and ecological environments in the Yellow River Basin. However, effective identification of key areas for Territorial Ecological Restoration remains challenging in planning ecological restoration projects. This study focuses on ecological security and restoration potential, taking Linxia Prefecture in the ecologically fragile area of the upper Yellow River as an example. By evaluating six types of ecosystem services in this area, utilizing morphological spatial pattern analysis models and circuit theory, we identified the structural elements of ecological security patterns and assessed the potential for ecological restoration, identifying key areas for regional ecological restoration.The findings indicated that (1) 13 ecological patches were identified in total, predominantly distributed in the southwest and central regions of Linxia Prefecture. 25 ecological corridors were identified, demonstrating a high level of spatial coherence in terms of significance and connectivity, establishing a closely integrated ecological security network primarily in the southwest of Linxia Prefecture. (2) Thirteen ecological pinch points and seventeen ecological barrier points have been identified, concentrated in the central and southwestern regions of Linxia Prefecture. (3) Based on the characteristics and urgency of key areas for Territorial Ecological Restoration, they are classified and graded as "point-line-surface" and "primary-very important-important." The primary restoration areas of the point type are mainly located in the central part of Linxia Prefecture, while the primary restoration areas of the line and plane types are mainly in the southwestern part of Linxia Prefecture. This paper emphasizing a holistic approach that prioritizes ecosystem integrity and social support to guide targeted restoration strategies across various ecological features, ultimately aiming for sustainable regional development and maximizing restoration benefits in ecologically fragile areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of land use changes on the coupling coordination of the regional water-food-carbon system in Hebei Province. Moreover, the findings aim to offer insights for achieving comprehensive and coordinated development of regional resources. Methods: By constructing an evaluation index system of the coupled coordinated development of the water-food-carbon system, using the coupled coordination model to study the coupled coordination of the water-food-carbon (WFC) system in Hebei Province from 2010 to 2020, and applying the Pearson correlation coefficient and ArcGIS to analyze the impacts of land-use changes on the degree of coupled coordination. Results: The results show that: (1) The most notable characteristics of land type changes include a decrease in cropland and an increase in construction land, primarily driven by the conversion of cropland to construction sites. The total area converted amounts to 8207.20 km2. (2) The degree of coupled coordination of the water-food-carbon system in the study area as a whole shows an upward and then downward trend, and shows a spatial distribution pattern of "high in the north-east and low in the south-west"; (3) In Hebei Province, the degree of coupling coordination within the water-food-carbon system exhibits a stable positive correlation with forest land, grassland, and water area. Additionally, the transfer of forest land and grassland are significant factors influencing the delineation of cold and hot spots within the region. Discussion: Therefore, in addressing the coordinated development of the water-food-carbon system, it is essential to consider the influence of land. Resources should be allocated judiciously based on regional advantages to promote sustainable development effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introduction provides the theoretical context of the Special Issue on Literacy Development in Regional Collateral Languages of Europe and an overview of the papers in the collection. For this end, it first discusses contemporary perceptions of the terms ‘literacy’ and ‘literacies’. These go far beyond traditional understandings, even though expressing one's thoughts through writing texts and meaning-making through reading are still at the core of literacies. Then, readers are introduced to the concept and the ideological contexts of ‘regional collateral languages’: These are varieties which are, on the one hand, structurally and ideologically closely related, or ‘collateral’, to major languages, often the main languages of nation states. On the other hand, they are deeply rooted in their regions; the paper therefore argues that they deserve specific attention along the lines of other efforts to maintain and develop autochthonous varieties. Finally, the introduction summarises the papers which focus on Scots in Scotland, Low German in Germany, Csángo in Romania, Silesian, Masurian, and Kashubian in Poland, Võro in Estonian, and Latgalian in Latvia, before identifying common denominators of the case studies and possible topics for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intestinal infectious diseases (IIDs) can impact the growth and development of children and weaken adults. This study aimed to establish a spatial panel model to analyze the relationship between factors such as population, economy and health resources, and the incidence of common IIDs. The objective was to provide a scientific basis for the formulation diseases prevention measures. Methods: Data on monthly reported cases of IIDs in each district and county of Zhejiang Province were collected from 2011 to 2021. The spatial distribution trend was plotted, and nine factors related to population, economy and health resources were selected for analysis. A spatial panel model was developed to identify statistically significant spatial patterns of influencing factors (P < 0.05). Results: The results revealed that each type of IIDs exhibited a certain level of clustering. Each IIDs had a significant radiation effect, HEV (b = 0.28, P < 0.05), bacillary dysentery (b = 0.38, P < 0.05), typhoid (b = 0.36, P < 0.05), other infectious diarrheas (OIDs) (b = 0.28, P < 0.05) and hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) (b = 0.39, P < 0.05), indicating that regions with high morbidity rates spread to neighboring areas. Among the population characteristics, density of population acted as a protective factor for bacillary dysentery (b=-1.81, P < 0.05), sex ratio acted as a protective factor for HFMD (b=-0.07, P < 0.05), and aging rate increased the risk of OIDs (b = 2.39, P < 0.05). Urbanization ratio posed a hazard factor for bacillary dysentery (b = 5.17, P < 0.05) and OIDs (b = 0.64, P < 0.05) while serving as a protective factor for typhoid (b=-1.61, P < 0.05) and HFMD (b=-0.39, P < 0.05). Per capita GDP was a risk factor for typhoid (b = 0.54, P < 0.05), but acted as a protective factor for OIDs (b=-0.45, P < 0.05) and HFMD (b=-0.27, P < 0.05). Additionally, the subsistence allowances ratio was a risk factor for HEV (b = 0.24, P < 0.05). Conclusion: The incidence of IIDs in Zhejiang Province exhibited a certain degree of clustering, with major hotspots identified in Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Jinhua. It would be essential to consider the spillover effects from neighboring regions and implement targeted measures to enhance disease prevention based on regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid economic development has led to massive fossil energy consumption and emissions of air pollutants such as PM2.5, which have severely impacted human health and the environment. By uncovering the primary regions and pivotal sectors of PM2.5-related human health impacts (PM2.5-HHI) and evaluating the influence of economic structural factors on them, we can facilitate a more targeted strategy for managing PM2.5 pollution sources. This study employs a structural decomposition analysis method based on input–output analysis to evaluate the impact of China's provincial economic structural transformation and changes in final demand on PM2.5-HHI in the years 2012, 2015, and 2017. Results indicated that PM2.5-HHI is primarily concentrated in economically developed provinces (e.g., Shandong and Guangdong), which is compared to Shanghai, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, and Hebei experienced negative growth in PM2.5-HHI during 2007–2017. The production-based PM2.5-HHI is primarily driven by energy-intensive sectors such as the production and distribution of electric power and heat power. By contrast, the building sector is key to driving consumption-based PM2.5-HHI. An increasing number of regions are reducing PM2.5-HHI by implementing production structure changes. Moreover, the driving effect of production structure changes on PM2.5-HHI growth is strengthening in Beijing and Tianjin. Changes in the final demand structure mainly led to the growth of PM2.5-HHI in areas with higher economic development levels, such as Beijing and Shandong, but this driving effect is weakening. The final demand–driven PM2.5-HHI shows an evolutionary trend of an increasing share driven by fixed capital formation and exports and a decreasing share driven by household consumption. Changes in emission intensity play a key role in decreasing PM2.5-HHI in each region. Alternatively, changes in the structure of emission sources have a relatively minor impact on PM2.5-HHI. To mitigate PM2.5-HHI, regional economic and resource endowment advantages should be used to promote regional coordinated development and strengthen green production-process innovation in energy-intensive industries. Meanwhcile, it is necessary to optimize urban construction planning and improve the energy efficiency of buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As a means of environmental regulation, the low-carbon city pilot policy aims to address climate change and alleviate environmental resource pressures in economic development. The development of low-carbon cities often requires changes to the existing industrial and energy structures, which will have a significant impact on the regional economy. Methods: The study is based on panel data from 273 prefecture level cities in China from 2012 to 2022, and uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Entropy Comprehensive Evaluation Method to construct an evaluation index system for urban circular benefits. Finally, the multiple time point differences model and mediation effect model were used to evaluate the impact and influencing factors of policies on urban economy. Results: The results indicate that at the 1% level, the explanatory variable coefficient significantly improves the level of urban circular economy development after adding control variables. The construction of low-carbon pilot cities has improved the performance of circular economy development by about 6.42%. The mediating effect of industrial structure rationalization is significantly positive at the 1% significance level, indicating that the construction of low-carbon pilot cities has greatly promoted the coordinated development of industrial relations within China's low-carbon development regions. Discussion: It can be seen that the low-carbon city pilot policy has a significant promoting effect on China's economic development and the development of urban circular economy. Therefore, it is recommended to further expand the pilot scope of low-carbon cities and fully leverage their promoting role. This article is based on panel data from 273 prefecture level cities from 2012 to 2012, and uses a multi time difference model to analyze the impact of low-carbon city pilot policies on the development of urban circular economy. The research results indicate that the construction of low-carbon pilot cities has significantly promoted the coordinated development of intra regional industrial relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the ecological security situation of Fuzhou City holds significant theoretical and practical value for the government departments in implementing development strategies and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Using the Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom (DIKW) framework, this study combined various remote sensing and GIS methods to comprehensively analyze Fuzhou's past, present, and future ecological security levels. The results showed a strong isotropic cluster in the city's ecological security. Among the influencing factors, the degree of regional development was found to have the greatest impact, while water body coverage had the least. The influencing factors are mutually reinforcing. Under the natural development scenario, the area of secure level in 2020 decreased by 1243.70 km2, while under the ecological protection scenario, it declined by 1263.34 km2. In the future, Fuzhou's ecological security level is expected to face increasing fragmentation. Based on these findings, the study proposes strategies to balance economic development and ecological protection in Fuzhou City. These recommendations aim to provide the government departments with relevant data support for land resource management and contribute to the high-level development of the City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to estimate the spatial dynamic evolution of renewable energy development efficiency and justify the dimensions that impact renewable energy development efficiency. The study applies the following methods: the ultraefficient slack‐based model (SBM) (to measure the efficiency of renewable energy development); the Dagum‐Gini coefficient decomposition process (to measure the interregional differences in the development of renewable energy efficiency); nuclear density estimation (to measure the dynamic distribution); the Markov model (to forecast renewable energy development efficiency); and the Tobit model (to justify the influencing factors of renewable energy development efficiency). The empirical findings confirm that the overall regional gaps in renewable energy development efficiency in China are widening year by year. The average value of renewable energy development efficiency increased from 0.932 in 2006 to 1.078 in 2020. The mean Gini coefficient increased gradually from 0.028 in 2006 to 0.174, with mean differences exceeding the average growth trend after 2011 and slowly decreasing post‐2016. There is polarization in the eastern region, while there is no polarization in the northeast. The overall level of renewable energy development efficiency in the middle and western areas is improving and showing a trend of absolute difference narrowing. In addition, economic development, green finance, technological progress, urbanization rate, and economic openness are conducive to renewable energy development efficiency, and renewable energy development efficiency is in a rapid development trend. Considering the findings, China should implement targeted regional development strategies, enhance green finance mechanisms, promote technological innovation, and align urbanization policies with renewable energy goals to reduce regional disparities and accelerate sustainable renewable energy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing maize yield is critical, as it is directly influenced by the crop's growth conditions. Therefore, real-time monitoring of maize growth is necessary. Regular monitoring of maize growth indicators is essential for optimizing irrigation management and evaluating agricultural yield. However, quantifying the physical aspects of regional crop development using time-series data is a challenging task. This research was conducted at the Dengkou Experimental Station in the Hetao irrigation area, Northwest China, to develop a monitoring tool for regional maize growth parameters. The tool aimed to establish a correlation between satellite-based physical data and actual crop growth on the ground. This study utilized dual-polarization Sentinel-1A GRD SAR data, accessible via the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform. Three polarization descriptors were introduced: θc (pseudo-scattering type parameter), Hc (pseudo-scattering entropy parameter), and mc (co-polar purity parameter). Using an unsupervised clustering framework, the maize-growing area was classified into several scattering mechanism groups, and the growth characteristics of the maize crop were analyzed. The results showed that throughout the maize development cycle, the parameters θc, Hc, and mc varied within the ranges of 26.82° to 42.13°, 0.48 to 0.89, and 0.32 to 0.85, respectively. During the leaf development stage, approximately 80% of the maize sampling points were concentrated in the low-to-moderate entropy scattering zone. As the plants reached the big trumpet stage, the entire cluster shifted to the high-entropy vegetation scattering zone. Finally, at maturity, over 60% of the sampling points were located in the high-entropy distribution scattering zone. This study presents an advanced analytical tool for crop management and yield estimation by utilizing precise and high-resolution spatial and temporal data on crop growth dynamics. The tool enhances the accuracy of crop growth management across different spatial and temporal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miskolc, which is the focus of our investigation, is the fourth most populous city in Hungary and the center of one of the most underdeveloped NUTS2 (basic territorial category for the regional policy of the European Union) regions in the European Union. The socialist heavy industry played a decisive role in the development of the city, the decline of which also left deep traces in the city. In its current position, the city tries to manage its available resources as efficiently as possible, and the city management is open to the use of modern urban development tools. This is supported by the fact that Miskolc was the first Hungarian city to join the Green Cities for Sustainable Europe movement in 2011, and then in 2015, it joined the Triangulum project of the EU Smart Cities and Communities program as a follower city. In the process of becoming a smart city, the dimensions of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency were given a prominent role, which should not be surprising considering the traditions of the city. Within this, we must first mention the construction of the geothermal central heating system, with which the city really took significant steps in this field. The main goal of the study is to develop a new smart local concept closely linked to regional development and the key energy sector, through which the local adaptation of the defining elements of the internationally defined smart city in several forms for the city of Miskolc will be presented. In our study, we review how the results achieved by Miskolc so far and the development plans for the future fit in with the smart energy developments of smart cities. Before exploring the processes in Miskolc, we will deal in more detail with the possibilities inherent in district heating and geothermal energy utilization and Hungary's capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the research was to assess Polish rural municipalities' investment activity connected with the development of a low-carbon economy, supported with EU funds in the 2007–2013 and 2014–2020 financial frameworks. The empirical study was based on data from Poland's Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Ministry of Finance, and Statistics Poland, analysed through basic descriptive statistics and a logistic model to identify key factors influencing investment activity. The study showed that the greatest number of agreements on funding were, in fact, signed by rural municipalities in the period under analysis. The predominant measures undertaken during this time were the promotion of renewable energy sources and the improvement in energy efficiency. In the earlier financial framework, low-carbon economy projects in rural areas were more often implemented by municipalities with developing demographic potential, including those characterised by a higher level of enterprise development. In the subsequent financial framework, human capital turned out to be of key importance for the investment activity of rural municipalities. Experience gained from 2007–2013 positively influenced fund absorption in 2014–2020, improving project value, number, and support. The study confirmed that rural municipalities play a vital role in advancing a low-carbon economy, as local actions are key to achieving sustainable development and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation and prediction of ecological benefits are significant for regional resource development planning and path designing. This study established a novel ecological benefits evaluation system by integrating macro-ecosystem structure, Ecosystem service index (ESI), and ecological quality index (EQI). Based on this system, this study evaluated the spatiotemporal characteristics and changing trend of ecological benefits in Song-Liao River Basin (SRB) from 1990 to 2020. The results show that the macro-ecosystem structure in Song-Liao River Basin remains stable, and the ecosystem service and ecological quality generally show a trend of first decline and then increase. The average growth rates of ESI and EQI were 0.6% and 0.4%, respectively, during 1990–2020. The ecological benefits of natural areas with widely distributed forest areas are higher, while those of areas with frequent human activities are lower. The prediction model based on machine learning has achieved good modeling effect, which shows that the ecological benefits of SRB will be on the rise in the future. Based on the evaluation results, we suggest that more environmental protection policies on the basis of maintaining the existing development plan should be promoted to reduce the contradiction between human and nature in the development process. For the abundant natural forests in this area, reasonable forest management should be carried out to improve the carbon-fixation capacity of vegetation, and a Methodology for managing natural forests should be constructed to make full use of the existing carbon sinks. For the new afforestation project being promoted, carbon-sink afforestation projects of CCER (Chinese Certified Emission Reduction) should be promoted to realize the synergy between economic development and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green innovation is an important path to achieving high-quality economic development and ecological environmental protection. Promoting green innovation has become a global consensus. Addressing regional disparities in green innovation is essential for the coordinated development of regional economies. This study empirically analyzes the spatial convergence of China’s regional green innovation and the spatial effects of the digital economy on this convergence. The analysis is based on data from 284 Chinese cities between 2011 and 2019. The results show spatial σ convergence, spatial absolute β convergence, and spatial conditional β convergence in regional green innovation. The findings suggest that the digital economy can promote the spatial convergence of regional green innovation. Our study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the convergence characteristics of China’s regional green innovation and provides important insights into narrowing the regional green innovation gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nighttime light (NTL) is a valuable data source for understanding urban sprawl and human activities. Radiometric quantification of NTL data can be used to explain the reasons for changes in NTL. We used average annual NTL data from 2013 to 2020 to investigate the magnitude and distribution of NTL change in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) in China. We found that NTL increased annually, with 93.06% of the area experiencing brightening. The annual NTL in 2020 was 2.42 times higher than that in 2013, and the NTL in the densely populated eastern provinces was 16.17 times higher than that in the west. Therefore, the east-west development of the research area is extremely uneven. Urbanization is often accompanied by dramatic NTL brightening, and the area of cropland being brightened is the largest of all landuse types. Urban development inevitably encroaches on cropland space. To address this issue, future policies should focus on sustainable regional development, for example encouraging urban densification development patterns. This will help to avoid the negative impact of urban expansion on the entire ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has taken sustainable development strategies seriously in recent years, aiming at reducing energy consumption and environmental pollutants emissions. This research empirically evaluates the sustainable innovation efficiency (SIE) in Chinafrom the perspective of energy and environmental constraints. Furthermore, the relationship between SIE and economic growth is tested through Granger causality test. The results indicate that SIE in China varies obviously in different regions. Granger causality runs only from economic growth to SIE and not the other way round. Economic growth is causative factor of sustainable innovation, indicating that China's sustainable innovation has not yet achieved coordinated development with the economy. Our findings also provide useful decision-supporting insights for Chinese policymakers to promote coordinated development of regional sustainable innovation and economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-tech industry plays an important role in promoting the upgrading of industrial structures. Its innovation activities show an obvious two-system structure. To promote co-development and improve industrial competitiveness, it is essential to examine the efficiency and measure the coupling coordination degree between two systems. With this regard, we first measure the relative efficiency using nonparametric technologies under different specifications of each system. Second, the coupling degree and coupling coordination degree between two systems have been calculated. Finally, comparative analyses of efficiency and coupling coordination degrees have been analysed from the perspective of the regional high-tech industry. Empirical results indicate the low overall technical efficiency in the regional high-tech industry is caused by low-scale efficiency under nonconvex. However, it is caused by low pure technical efficiency under convex. Moreover, the average efficiency of technology development in regional high-tech industry is higher than that of technology transformation for convex and nonconvex cases. Furthermore, the degree of coupling coordination of the two systems of the high-tech industry in all regions is moderate and above coordination. The empirical results can provide useful suggestions for policymakers to create an environment conducive to industrial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital development has been crucial in transforming different aspects of the economy. This paper demonstrates that external networks and spillovers could be important sources for firms' innovation performance in the digital era, which points to the potential benefits of digitalisation for knowledge spillovers and innovation. This paper employs Chinese city-level and firm-level data with 12,487 firm-year observations from 2011 to 2019 to conduct the empirical analysis. The results show that regional digital development facilitates firm innovation, especially collaborative innovation activities among firms. This paper further shows that firms with lower supplier concentration benefit more from digital development in terms of innovation. In terms of heterogeneity, technology-intensive and relatively small firms benefit from digital development. This paper contributes to the literature by filling the gap about the mechanisms of digital development on firm innovation and by examining the role of suppliers in firm innovation in the digital era. To foster advances in innovation, this paper provides relevant theoretical and practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting innovation is a critical route to high-quality economic development. The objective of this study is to analyse the impact of internet development (INT) on regional innovation efficiency (RIE). Using the super-Epsilon-based measure model under metafrontier (M-Super-EBM), the RIE is evaluated based on panel data of 284 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2018. On this basis, we adopt a two-way fixed effect model to examine the role of INT on RIE. Additionally, we further construct a moderating model to probe the effect of intellectual property protection (IPP) in the influencing mechanism of INT on RIE. The empirical results show that China's RIE displayed an upward trend during 2010–2018. Cities in coastal provinces had the largest RIE. The development of the internet significantly improves China's RIE, and the promotion effect is mainly achieved by increasing innovative input and output. The synergetic effect of INT and IPP on RIE is significantly positive. Moreover, a U-shaped relationship is also validated between IPP and RIE. The estimated results remain valid after a series of robust checks. Hence, it is of immense significance to accelerate the internet application and strengthen the IPP intensity for the improvement of innovation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of the profession in the early 1900s, planning considered uniquely rural places and communities through the lens of regionalism. Yet today it tends to regard all spatiality as part of the urban environment and non-city-dwellers as part of the urban population. To understand this shift, we examine the history of rural regional development planning over the past century up to the Great Recession. We then apply the lessons to consider what a 21st century reinvention of rural planning might entail, particularly the possible recovery of the comprehensive, reformist approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of economic, social and discursive changes, old-industrial towns and regions increasingly apply entrepreneurial strategies to actively shape discourses as part of place-making processes. Foundational narratives play an important role in this regard. They are used by agents to foster cohesion in a local community, to legitimize and anchor their actions and goals and to make sense of complex development processes. Applying the methodology of Critical Narrative Analysis, the present study zooms in such processes of narrative building in Lauchhammer (Germany). Despite having experienced the decline of the most important parts of its industry, local actors still mobilize the industrial past in order to strengthen local identity and attract new businesses and manufacturers. Yet, the paper shows that different agents foreground different aspects of the industrial past and narratives may be contested. At the same time, local, regional and national development strategies are closely interlinked offering 'opportunity spaces' for local actors but raising also questions about a potential (de)legitimization of local narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore contemporary regional development in a historic industrial region. Specifically, we unpack the influences of industrial history and culture, built up over several centuries, on contemporary regional development dynamics and issues. In doing so, we draw on an evolutionary perspective within economic geography and perspectives from deindustrialization studies to understand how the past shapes the present. We combine these with theories of agency to understand how key actors comprehend the industrial heritage of a place, and how this is incorporated into contemporary regional development efforts. We explore this combination of conceptual lenses through an in-depth case study of Karlskoga, in Sweden, one of the country's 'bruksorter' (mill towns) that grew up around the production of iron and steel, leading to it eventually becoming one of the largest arms manufacturing cities in Europe, home of the well-known Bofors company. However, all has not been plain sailing, and Karlskoga has experienced the challenges of de-population, industrial restructuring, and shocks to the sector upon which the town is reliant. By analysing these mixed fortunes we develop new insights into how regional development is intertwined with structural, institutional, and cultural industrial legacies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on regional development has recently explored new domains, including agency. Evolutionary perspectives link new development paths to technological innovations and adaptation of economic structures to changing environments. In contrast, the agentic perspective attributes the formation of new development paths to the purposeful actions of human actors. A broad interpretation of the notion of development paths is adopted, which goes beyond technological change, including also innovation in regional policy, governance, and leadership. The special issue contributes to these debates by offering diverse theoretical insights and empirically rich cases from the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Norway, and Sweden. The eight cases explore how local agency emerges, functions, and facilitates the creation of new development paths under conditions of relative peripherality and legacies of former industrial specializations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we empirically and theoretically present regenerative regional development in responsible value chains as an alternative to the prevailing traditional, neoliberal economic rationale of globalization. We develop the argument on the back of a longitudinal in-depth case study on actors' engagement in the recurring crises in the maritime industry in Sunnmøre/Norway. The alternative perspective is an agentic response from the business community in the wake of recent crises. It builds on advanced manufacturing capabilities, automation and precision technologies, which promise local economic regeneration while reducing the reliance on low-cost labour, substantially cuts emissions through reduced long-haul transport, use of green energy and more energy-efficient production processes. To succeed, however, it calls for policies that promote the building of local capabilities and penalize practices causing environmental and social harm in global value chains, making it possible to move towards responsible and shorter value chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, attention to the role of actors in regional development has shifted from the role of 'formal and collective' actors to the role of individuals in change agency. In doing so, individuals mobilize their capacity to act, which comprises the total volume of resources accumulated over the course of their life. However, there is a lack of studies focusing on how such capacity is then mobilized for change agency. Therefore, this study seeks to reveal the patterns of how selected agents have used their capacity for change agency and how this is implemented in the specific spatio-temporal setting of an old industrial region. Based on the results of 64 semi-structured interviews conducted with agents of change and local informants in four old industrial towns in Czechia, we identified five basic types of how resources are combined and used during the implementation of change agency – change agencies driven by embodied cultural capital, by bonding social capital, by economic capital, with support from public institutions and those accelerated by symbolic capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to contribute to the study of agency in regional development first by elaborating a typology of organizational- and system-level agency constellations in regions. Second, the paper outlines the main individual and collective assets which influence the vigour and sophistication of organizational- and system-level agency and by specifying the main drivers upon which the exertion of usually more scarce system-level agency is contingent. Empirically, via 30 in-depth interviews, the role of agency is studied in a region with multiple disadvantages. Nevertheless, innovative endogenous companies exist in this region, and we examined their compensation and exploitation strategies aimed at eluding unfavourable regional assets and almost-missing system-level agency. Finally, we outline several potential avenues for transformation in the case study's region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines young people's involvement in regional sustainability transformation processes based on a real-world experiment in a community of 5700 inhabitants on the southern outskirts of city of Vienna, Austria. The eight-month experiment aimed to explore methods and tools for transdisciplinary co-creation with youth, the impact of structural conditions on their participation and the effects of their integration. Findings highlight the crucial roles of topics relevant to youth, a trusted intermediary like a youth worker, and structural conditions such as political support and resource allocation in enhancing youth engagement success. Collaborative decision making with policymakers and direct communication were also key to effective participation. The real-world experiment laid the groundwork for future participatory methods and had an impact on youth–community relations. It affirmed the role of youth in regional development, with effects that extended beyond the immediate scope of the experiment in terms of time, space, and topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the dynamics of public transport regulation, deregulation, and reform within the context of Tver in Russia. As developing nations face increased transportation demand and industrialized regions grapple with environmental concerns policymakers are challenged to choose appropriate regulatory frameworks. Historically, different stages of economic development have led to diverse approaches, ranging from publicly owned enterprises to natural monopoly regulation. Primary objective of the study is to conduct a spatial analysis of the new public transport route network in Tver and its suburb, examining alterations, accessibility, and travel times. To achieve this, methodologies, and data parameters such as Geographic Information System (GIS) tools for spatial analysis, creation of buffer zones around public transport stops to assess accessibility, population coverage analysis to understand the demographic impact, and isochrones mapping to evaluate changes in travel times and accessibility were employed. These methods allowed for a detailed assessment of the network's alterations, accessibility, and the impact on travel times following the transfer of planning authority. Additionally, population access to transport services was assessed through demographic coverage analysis, determining the proportion of the population within a designated distance from stops. These quantifications provided insights into the effects of transferring planning authority on the regional public transport system's accessibility and efficiency. Tver's experience illustrates the potential outcomes of transport reform, with intracity and intraregional routes merged into a unified passenger transportation system. This transformation holds promise for regional development. In summary, this study offers insights into public transport regulation and reform dynamics, using the Tver case to analyze the consequences for accessibility and service quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of regions is at the heart of any country's economic prosperity. Viewed in this way, it can be assumed that economic development represents the totality of the territorial development of all regions. In this regard, it is important to identify and examine the primary factors generating growth and regional development. Some main drivers of regional growth are national and local policies, the business environment formed, regional incentives for entrepreneurship, and the state of the natural, demographic, and economic systems. Regional business and entrepreneurship are significant drivers in achieving regional sustainable and territorial development. The main objective of this report is to analyze regional business through the formation of a loc al business ecosystem based on the utility system of municipalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We argue for a broader and more deliberative regional policymaking process that can be used to better identify the needs of diverse left-behind communities and develop appropriate policies. We argue that the capability approach's quintessentially inclusive and broad scope, and focus on real opportunities, agency, and process might better address the challenges of regional development. We use these insights to lay out a practical guide for how the capability approach could be used in policymaking, breaking down the implementation approach into steps, and providing examples from a variety of contexts to show how each step might be achieved in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting the circular economy (CE) increasingly draws on regional approaches. But in particular the potentially supportive role of regionally provided innovations requires more exploration. This paper suggests an expanded categorization of innovation demands for the regional CE and integrates them into an enriched conceptualization of the challenge-oriented regional innovation system (CORIS). How the proposed framework can guide regional analysis and strategy building is then illustrated by the empirical case study of the German 'Circular City' Aachen. Structuring obtained information according to CORIS components reveals which requirements are met, but also which innovation deficiencies should be tackled locally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of the global knowledge economy, innovation has become a key factor affecting the survival of enterprises and regional economic development. Scholars have done some research on the relationship between innovation intensity and innovation performance, but the conclusions are not consistent because product innovation and process innovation are not distinguished. The study collected 321 valid questionnaires, and used dynamic capability theory and resource-based theory to study the relationship between innovation intensity and product innovation and process innovation. The results showed that Innovation intensity, environmental complexity and environmental dynamics have positive significant effects on product innovation and process innovation. The moderating role of environmental uncertainty is inconsistent. Environmental complexity negatively moderates the relationship between innovation intensity and process innovation, and environmental dynamics negatively moderates the relationship between Innovation intensity and product innovation. Finally, the management implications and policy recommendations are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a consequence of global political and economic changes and multiple crisis shocks, regional economic resilience has emerged as one of the most important themes in studying regional development. A multiscale analysis framework based on scale decomposition, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and the spatial error model was utilized. The spatio-temporal evolution of regional economic resilience in China was analyzed from 2008 to 2020 on three scales: prefecture-level, province-level, and district-level, and their influencing factors were also analyzed. The study indicated that: (1) since 2008, China's regional economic resilience as a whole has shown a fluctuating upward trend. Regional differences in China's economic resilience were closely related to geographic scale, exhibiting the characteristics of prefecture-level > province-level > district-level, which meant that the smaller the spatial scale, the greater the differences. (2) The regional economic resilience in each scale showed significant spatial clustering characteristics and was dominated by the high-high (H-H) type, with spatial dependence and heterogeneity becoming more obvious as the scale became smaller. (3) Variations in economic resilience across different scales can be attributed to a combination of factors, including industrial structure, environmental conditions, level of government management, labor resources, and level of urbanization. There is, however, a variation in the intensity of the effect of each factor, with industrial structure and labor resources being the major factors contributing to inter-regional differences. Nevertheless, the improved level of government management somewhat moderated the differences between regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The watershed ecological compensation mechanism is an effective policy instrument for promoting the protection of the watershed ecological environment and the development of the regional economy in river basin areas. However, the related compensation for quality control investment and liability for water quality damage should be determined carefully. In the present study, based on data envelopment analysis, we firstly established a compensation allocation model with fairness, considering both efficiency and the scale of river basin areas. Secondly, incorporating the opportunity cost method, we establish a total liability model and liability-sharing model to ensure consistency between compensation and liability. We study the Xin'an River basin in Anhui province as an empirical example, showing that She County deserved the highest compensation in both 2018 and 2019, and Xiuning County received the lowest compensation in 2018. Only Jixi County should bear liability in 2018, but in 2019, Tunxi District bears the highest liability and Xiuning County the lowest liability. The compensation allocation and liability sharing results align with the equality principle, and the allocation model is feasible. This paper provides suggestions for compensation allocation and liability sharing for provinces in the watershed ecological compensation mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green finance is crucial to the achievement of China's dual-carbon goals and its sustainable economic development. Based on the data from 2011 to 2020, This paper employs a double-difference method to examine two effects of green finance on economic growth, namely, its growth and crowding-out effect. The empirical results show that, in general, green finance improves the level of economic growth and doesn't impede the entry of new enterprises, while crowding out the contribution of heavy polluting industries to the economy. Green financial policies effect economic performance mainly through resource allocation and technological innovation. Specially, in comparison to the central and western regions, green finance exerts a more pronounced influence in the eastern region, potentially attributable to disparities in regional development levels, financial system efficiency, and degrees of marketization. In addition, both growth and crowding-out effect are more significant in resource-dependent cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of maritime transport and the gradual increase in the number of ports, ships and shipping routes can produce direct economic benefits for regional development, and a profound grasp of the actual situation of maritime transport makes it possible to make practical plans for economic development and thus rationally develop and use marine resources. However, there is a lack of research on maritime transport, so this study is based on the AIS, waterways, routes and ports data in the near-shore sea area of Guangdong Province. Using GIS spatial analysis technology and various mathematical models, we refer to the evaluation method of road traffic dominance. It analyses and proposes the evaluation indexes of maritime traffic advantages, such as the density of maritime traffic network and the proximity of ports. Based on the actual situation of the study regions, the indicators were quantitatively evaluated and analyzed. The economic development level of each region was also quantitatively evaluated using principal component analysis, and the study regions were classified based on the coupling-coordination model. The results show that the coastal area of Guangdong Province is divided into four types of zones according to the coupling-coordination type of zoning criteria. Corresponding development suggestions are put forward for different zones, and the research results provide certain practical guidelines for promoting the benign cycle development of maritime traffic and economy, and have important guiding significance and application value for the organization and safety of maritime traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document discusses the concept of a circular bioeconomy, emphasizing the importance of utilizing biomass responsibly and effectively to achieve a sustainable future. It highlights the need for regional and local initiatives to promote bio-based circularity, focusing on the Alb-Donau-Kreis district in Germany as an example. The district's bioeconomy strategy aims to transform resource utilization, strengthen innovation, and create a reference framework for bioeconomy implementation at the local level. The document encourages researchers and practitioners to explore the bioeconomy in waste management and circular economy contexts to address global sustainability goals. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Optimizing the energy consumption structure (ECS) is conducive to promoting the efficiency and quality of regional green economic development (GED). This paper discusses the current situation of green economic development (GED) in China and how optimizing the energy consumption structure (ECS) can promote green economic development (GED). Methods: A systematic literature search (from January 2013 to July 2024) was conducted using the keywords "green economic development" and "energy consumption structure" in the following databases: Web of Science, Embase, Science Direct, and PubMed. In this paper, the entropy method was used to measure the GED indicator system, Arcgis drawing was applied to show the current status of GED development, and the theme of this paper was investigated by constructing the basic regression model, Spatial Durbin model, mediating effect model, and moderating effect model. Two researchers independently screened and extracted data. Results: The analysis of empirical tests in 30 provinces yielded the following results: The overall development of China's GED shows a fluctuating upward trend. However, there is a regional development imbalance, and the development level of the eastern region is significantly higher than that of the central and western regions. The optimization of ECS contributes significantly to the improvement of GED. And the effect of optimizing ECS on GED has an apparent spatial spillover effect. The optimization of ECS in neighboring regions also promotes the increase of GED in the region, and this feature is more obvious in the central and western regions. The spatial effect of ECS optimization on GED is shown as Central Region > Western Region > Eastern Region. The total effect of the upgrading of the energy consumption structure and its impact on surrounding areas is shown in the following regions: Western region > Central region > Eastern region. The analysis of the mechanism effect shows that upgrading industrial structure is the main mechanism for optimizing ECS on GED. Discussion: The results show that the optimization and upgrading of ECS is the driving force behind the development of GED, and that there is a need to break down barriers between regions to promote the common development of GED, as well as to play a role in the mechanism of industrial structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific assessment of urban ecological security (ES) is an important prerequisite to realize regional sustainable development. Previous studies lack the consideration of quality and poor systematic correlation, which could not reflect the internal dynamic relationship. On the basis of considering the time lag, this study divided the research process into the natural operation stage and the management feedback stage based on the driving forces, pressures, state, impacts, responses, management (DPSIRM) framework model and DEA theory, so as to effectively overcome the above shortcomings. Finally, we analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of the ES level of 108 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) during 2005–2019. The results showed that: (a) both two stages showed a slow and fluctuating upward trend in time series, and the level of urban ES in the management feedback stage was significantly higher than that in the natural operation stage; (b) with the passage of time, the spatial distribution of ES in the natural operation stage gradually developed towards the middle and downstream of the YREB, while the management feedback stage mainly evolved from the midstream to the edge area; (c) the level of urban ES presented a different degree of spatial agglomeration phenomenon, and showed an increasing trend over time; and (d) the key influencing factors gradually changed from pressure to response during 2005–2019. This research aims to provide an innovative perspective for the measurement of urban ES, and provide scientific reference for improving urban ecological sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]