New Direction of Sustainable Urbanization: The Impact of Digital Technologies and Policies on China’s In Situ Urbanization

Abstract

As part of the process of sustainable urban planning in China, digital technologies have led to major practical and academic concerns. However, few scholars have focused on the impact of digital technologies on in situ urbanization from a policy–technology perspective. This interdisciplinary work aims to analyze how digital policies and their technologies contribute to the transformation of in situ urbanization patterns. This study follows the structure of law and policy research regarding the path of phenomenon presentation–institutional analysis–limitation interpretation. First, the legislation and policies for digitalization of the countryside has drastically changed the logic of how traditional in situ urbanization works. The concept of in situ urbanization 2.0 is used to describe this new phenomenon. Second, historical legitimacy, performance legitimacy, and socially sustainable reproduction are three reasons why rural digitalization reform has triggered in situ urbanization 2.0. Finally, the double dilemma of overreliance on technological change in the in situ urbanization 2.0 process is pointed out; these dilemmas need to be addressed through legislation and policy adjustments. Four recommendations for action are proposed to address these dilemmas. The findings of this research contribute to the literature on sustainable urban planning and rural digitalization reform.

Effects of digital economy and city size on green total factor productivity

“…Third, increasing GTFP is facilitated by the acceleration of digital industrialization and industrial digitization (Zhang and Zhou, 2022). Industrial digitization is the use of digital technology by established industries to innovate and transform, whereas digital industrialization refers to the creation of new industries and economic sectors based on digital technology.…”

What are the stumbling blocks to shared prosperity in China

“…Social security payments focus more on reducing the urban-rural income gap and the industrial income gap in the eastern region (Figure 1d, 2d) because the highly developed eastern region can afford to make social security benefits available to more people, whereas the other regions have insufficient financial resources to do this (Yang and Ding, 2014). Transfer payments had a greater ability to reduce the urban-rural income gap in the western region since local governments in the western region promote local urbanization and use the funds to build public services that will improve the farmers' quality of life (Zhang and Zhou, 2022). However, transfer payments have partly increased this region's industrial income gap.…”

What are the Stumbling Blocks to Shared Prosperity in China?

“…Social security payments focus more on reducing the urban-rural income gap and the industrial income gap in the eastern region (Figure 1d, 2d) because the highly developed eastern region can afford to make social security bene ts available to more people, whereas the other regions have insu cient nancial resources to do this (Yang and Ding, 2014). Transfer payments had a greater ability to reduce the urban-rural income gap in the western region since local governments in the western region promote local urbanization and use the funds to build public services that will improve the farmers' quality of life (Zhang and Zhou, 2022). However, transfer payments have partly increased this region's industrial income gap.…”