Spatio-Temporal Evolution of City Resilience in the Yangtze River Delta, China, from the Perspective of Statistics

Abstract

The development of resilient cities has become a critical global issue with respect to the stimulation of sustainable economic, social, and ecological advancement. The Yangtze River Delta region, which is the most densely populated region in China, is undergoing the fastest urbanization and is achieving the highest level of economic development in the country. Thus, it is of great theoretical and practical significance to study the evolution of spatiotemporal city resilience in this region. For this study, the resilience of 41 core cities in the Yangtze River Delta in China from 2010 to 2020 was evaluated through a combination of game weighting and fuzzy matter-element analysis. Subsequently, the spatiotemporal differences in city resilience were revealed via the Dagum Gini coefficient and the Kernel density model. Further, the driving factors of city resilience were analyzed by a geographic detector model. The results revealed the following: (1) The resilience of the cities under study experienced a gradual upward trend (with Shanghai being consistently in the lead) and significant differences occurred between them. (2) The Dagum Gini coefficient indicated that the resilience of cities in the western portion of the Yangtze River Delta was quite diverse. This phenomenon was primarily due to the differences between sub-regions, for which the differences between the southeast and northwest were the most prominent. (3) The Kernel density indicated the absolute differences across the entire Delta as well as the northern sub-region, and there was a significant polarization phenomenon in the southern and western sub-regions. (4) Driving factor analysis revealed that the driving force of the income levels of residents was stronger and more stable, the driving force of economic development level was weakened, and the driving force of medical and health conditions, the degree of openness, and energy utilization efficiencies were strengthened. Overall, the driving factors of city resilience became more diversified and complex. Consequently, the Yangtze River Delta needs to improve city resilience levels in the northwest region in order to promote its balanced development. Our results suggested that more attention should be allocated to the improvement of the livelihoods of urban residents, the adjustment of energy consumption structures, and the optimization of the provision of medical resources.

Unveiling the Coupling Coordination and Interaction Mechanism between the Local Heat Island Effect and Urban Resilience in China

“…The results show that the UHI phenomenon and high UR level in the GBA are mainly concentrated in the coastal areas near the Pearl River Delta estuary, and their levels have been rising in the past two decades, with a trend of diffusion to the surrounding areas. This is consistent with the conclusion that the resilience level and UHIs of most cities in China have been increasing year by year over the past two decades [87,88] and are in line with the development path of cities in GBA. In the early stages of development, Hong Kong and Macao, which experienced colonial times, already had a good economic foundation, allowing their economic functions to better adapt to risks.…”

Study on the Coupling and Coordination between Urban Resilience and Low-Carbon Development of Central Plains Urban Agglomeration

“…Based on the previous research results [16,[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46], indexes were chosen by following the principles of scientificity and operability and also by combining the actual situation of the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration. From the four aspects of ecological resilience, economic resilience, social resilience, and infrastructure resilience, a total of 20 indicators were selected to measure urban resilience.…”

“…Per capita GDP is an important indicator to measure the overall level of economic development in a region, and it is the most intuitive manifestation of urban economic development. For the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration, a special region where resource-based cities are in the majority and the secondary industry occupies an important position in economic development, the growth of industrial output value and fixed asset investment above the designated size is the basic support for stable economic development [41,42]. Foreign direct investment is an important source of funds for urban development, which can effectively enhance economic vitality, while per capita disposable income is the embodiment of residents' confidence and consumption ability, thus driving economic development.…”

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors for Urban Resilience in China: A Provincial Analysis

“…The critical question is how cities can effectively counter these external forces and manage internal inefficiencies within their unique constraints and the unpredictability of external shocks, in pursuit of enhancing their resilience and achieving sustainable development. This remains a global challenge that all countries must confront [6].…”