Applied Geography最新文献

Spatial inequities in urban resource access, neighborhood social capital, and late-life depression: Insights from Hong Kong's aging population 城市资源获取的空间不平等、邻里社会资本与晚年抑郁——来自香港人口老龄化的洞察

IF 5.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Applied Geography

Pub Date : 2026-01-31 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103920

Min Yang , Xue Bai , Yuxuan Zou

Spatial disparities in urban resources and health outcomes among older adults are well documented, with growing empirical attention to how absolute levels of accessibility affect health. However, less is known about the implications of intra-area inequality in infrastructure access, which may represent an additional form of environmental disadvantage with mental health consequences.

Using data from 5007 older adults aged 50 and above in Hong Kong, we examined how accessibility and within-district inequality of urban facilities are associated with depressive symptoms. Accessibility indicators for four types of urban facilities were calculated for 1746 Large Subunit Groups using an exponential distance-decay model and aggregated to 18 districts. District-level access inequality was measured by Gini coefficient. Principal component analysis was conducted to reduce multicollinearity, yielding two key factors: resource accessibility and resource inequality.

Results from population-weighted linear regressions with district fixed effects reveal that higher resource inequality was associated with more depressive symptoms, whereas higher resource accessibility was associated with less symptoms. Importantly, neighborhood social capital buffered the negative impact of resource inequality, yet did not modify the effect of accessibility.

Our findings highlight a dual pathway linking the urban built environment to late-life mental health: the absolute level of supportive infrastructure reduces depressive symptoms, whereas inequitable spatial allocation increases them. Strengthening neighborhood social capital can mitigate, but not fully offset the psychological burden of structural resource inequality. Creating age-friendly and mentally healthy cities therefore requires integrating distributional justice into infrastructure planning alongside initiatives that foster neighborhood trust and reciprocity.

城市资源和老年人健康结果的空间差异已得到充分记录，越来越多的实证关注可达性的绝对水平如何影响健康。然而，人们对区域内基础设施获取不平等的影响知之甚少，这可能是环境不利的另一种形式，对心理健康造成影响。利用香港5007名50岁及以上老年人的数据，我们研究了城市设施的可达性和地区内不平等与抑郁症状的关系。利用指数距离衰减模型计算了1746个大型亚单元群的4类城市设施可达性指标，并将其汇总到18个区。用基尼系数衡量地区一级的获取不平等。主成分分析减少多重共线性，得到两个关键因素：资源可及性和资源不平等。具有地区固定效应的人口加权线性回归结果显示，资源不平等程度越高，抑郁症状越多，而资源可及性越高，抑郁症状越少。重要的是，邻里社会资本缓冲了资源不平等的负面影响，但没有改变可达性的影响。我们的研究结果强调了将城市建筑环境与老年心理健康联系起来的双重途径：支持性基础设施的绝对水平减少了抑郁症状，而不公平的空间分配则增加了抑郁症状。加强邻里社会资本可以减轻但不能完全抵消资源结构性不平等的心理负担。因此，创建老年人友好型和心理健康的城市需要将分配正义纳入基础设施规划，同时采取措施促进邻里信任和互惠。

{"title":"Spatial inequities in urban resource access, neighborhood social capital, and late-life depression: Insights from Hong Kong's aging population","authors":"Min Yang , Xue Bai , Yuxuan Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103920","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103920","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spatial disparities in urban resources and health outcomes among older adults are well documented, with growing empirical attention to how absolute levels of accessibility affect health. However, less is known about the implications of intra-area inequality in infrastructure access, which may represent an additional form of environmental disadvantage with mental health consequences.</div><div>Using data from 5007 older adults aged 50 and above in Hong Kong, we examined how accessibility and within-district inequality of urban facilities are associated with depressive symptoms. Accessibility indicators for four types of urban facilities were calculated for 1746 Large Subunit Groups using an exponential distance-decay model and aggregated to 18 districts. District-level access inequality was measured by Gini coefficient. Principal component analysis was conducted to reduce multicollinearity, yielding two key factors: resource accessibility and resource inequality.</div><div>Results from population-weighted linear regressions with district fixed effects reveal that higher resource inequality was associated with more depressive symptoms, whereas higher resource accessibility was associated with less symptoms. Importantly, neighborhood social capital buffered the negative impact of resource inequality, yet did not modify the effect of accessibility.</div><div>Our findings highlight a dual pathway linking the urban built environment to late-life mental health: the absolute level of supportive infrastructure reduces depressive symptoms, whereas inequitable spatial allocation increases them. Strengthening neighborhood social capital can mitigate, but not fully offset the psychological burden of structural resource inequality. Creating age-friendly and mentally healthy cities therefore requires integrating distributional justice into infrastructure planning alongside initiatives that foster neighborhood trust and reciprocity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 103920"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Investigating urbanization dynamics and road infrastructure development in the African context: A case study of Moroccan territory 在非洲背景下调查城市化动态和道路基础设施发展：摩洛哥领土的案例研究

IF 5.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Applied Geography

Pub Date : 2026-01-27 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103916

Rachida El-Bouayady , Hicham Bahi , Jerome Chenal , Soukaina Tayi , Salwa Bajja

In the context of rapid urbanization, understanding how urban growth interacts with infrastructure development, particularly the expansion of road networks, is crucial for sustainable regional planning. Roads are central to supporting urban expansion and achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, notably SDGs 9.1 and 11.2. Addressing a key gap in the literature, which often conceptualizes urbanization solely as population growth, this study constructs a composite index to capture its multidimensional aspects, including geographic, socio-economic, demographic, and infrastructural dimensions, across Moroccan provinces. Unlike most studies that view roads as a driver of urbanization, this research analyzes how urbanization shapes road network development over the 2008–2018 period through regression analysis. Results reveal that provinces with rapid land use change and high population density exhibit significantly higher road network densities. A 10 % increase in land use change is linked to a 4.2 % rise in road density, while a similar rise in population density corresponds to a 3.5 % increase. These results predominantly support the economic theory of urbanization, while the unequal distribution of road networks illustrates pronounced urban-bias effects. Conversely, regions characterized by higher unemployment and lower literacy rates experience infrastructure deficits. Overall, the findings underscore the need to align infrastructure investments with urban pressures to enhance connectivity and reduce spatial inequality. The study highlights marked regional disparities, emphasizing the importance of spatially targeted planning to foster equitable and sustainable urban development.

在快速城市化的背景下，了解城市增长如何与基础设施发展相互作用，特别是道路网络的扩张，对可持续区域规划至关重要。道路对于支持城市扩张和实现联合国可持续发展目标，特别是可持续发展目标9.1和11.2至关重要。文献通常将城市化仅仅定义为人口增长，为了解决这一关键问题，本研究构建了一个综合指数，以捕捉摩洛哥各省城市化的多维方面，包括地理、社会经济、人口和基础设施方面。与大多数将道路视为城市化驱动因素的研究不同，本研究通过回归分析分析了2008-2018年期间城市化如何影响道路网络的发展。结果表明，土地利用变化快、人口密度高的省份道路网络密度显著高于其他省份。土地利用变化增加10%与道路密度增加4.2%有关，而人口密度的类似增长对应于3.5%的增长。这些结果主要支持城市化的经济理论，而道路网络的不平等分布说明了明显的城市偏见效应。相反，失业率较高、识字率较低的地区则面临基础设施不足的问题。总体而言，研究结果强调需要将基础设施投资与城市压力相结合，以加强连通性并减少空间不平等。该研究强调了明显的区域差异，强调了有空间针对性的规划对促进公平和可持续城市发展的重要性。

{"title":"Investigating urbanization dynamics and road infrastructure development in the African context: A case study of Moroccan territory","authors":"Rachida El-Bouayady , Hicham Bahi , Jerome Chenal , Soukaina Tayi , Salwa Bajja","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103916","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103916","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the context of rapid urbanization, understanding how urban growth interacts with infrastructure development, particularly the expansion of road networks, is crucial for sustainable regional planning. Roads are central to supporting urban expansion and achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, notably SDGs 9.1 and 11.2. Addressing a key gap in the literature, which often conceptualizes urbanization solely as population growth, this study constructs a composite index to capture its multidimensional aspects, including geographic, socio-economic, demographic, and infrastructural dimensions, across Moroccan provinces. Unlike most studies that view roads as a driver of urbanization, this research analyzes how urbanization shapes road network development over the 2008–2018 period through regression analysis. Results reveal that provinces with rapid land use change and high population density exhibit significantly higher road network densities. A 10 % increase in land use change is linked to a 4.2 % rise in road density, while a similar rise in population density corresponds to a 3.5 % increase. These results predominantly support the economic theory of urbanization, while the unequal distribution of road networks illustrates pronounced urban-bias effects. Conversely, regions characterized by higher unemployment and lower literacy rates experience infrastructure deficits. Overall, the findings underscore the need to align infrastructure investments with urban pressures to enhance connectivity and reduce spatial inequality. The study highlights marked regional disparities, emphasizing the importance of spatially targeted planning to foster equitable and sustainable urban development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 103916"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Marginal willingness to pay for Urban service diversity in 15-Minute community life circle: A case study of Xiamen 15分钟社区生活圈中城市服务多样性的边际支付意愿——以厦门市为例

IF 5.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Applied Geography

Pub Date : 2026-01-27 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103912

Chao Zhang, Xinya Bi, Hongli He, Yajie Wang

The 15-Minute Community Life Circle is a frontier planning concept for enhancing urban livability. However, the economic value of its core principle, diversity, and its underlying structure, remain to be thoroughly explored. Based on panel data from 3183 communities in Xiamen City from 2021 to 2024, this study constructs a multidimensional measurement system for 133 types of urban service facilities, incorporating four indices: Patrick richness index (R), Shannon-wiener index (H), Simpson's diversity index (D), and Pielou's evenness index (J′). We then systematically evaluate the Marginal Willingness to Pay (MWTP) for urban service diversity. The findings indicate that residents' willingness to pay is primarily driven by service evenness rather than mere richness. Heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the value of diversity is closely correlated with service categories. This value is positive for shopping services and educational and cultural services, whereas it presents as negative for dining services, life services, and sports and leisure services. The 15-Minute Community Life Circle remains robust in the digital age, although its value is increasingly concentrated on localized, experiential services. Concurrently, service richness exhibits attributes of a necessity for low- and middle-income groups, whereas service evenness demonstrates universal appeal across all income levels. Spatially, the Marginal Willingness to Pay for service diversity follows an "inverted U-shaped" distribution. In contrast, the value of evenness demonstrates spatial universality. By deconstructing the economic value of service diversity, this research provides systematic empirical evidence for urban planning practices to shift focus from pursuing quantity to emphasizing structure and equity.

15分钟社区生活圈是提升城市宜居性的前沿规划理念。然而，其核心原则、多样性及其潜在结构的经济价值仍有待深入探讨。基于2021 - 2024年厦门3183个社区的面板数据，构建了包含Patrick丰富度指数(R)、Shannon-wiener指数(H)、Simpson多样性指数(D)和Pielou均匀度指数（J’）4个指标的133种城市服务设施多维度测度体系。然后系统地评估了城市服务多样性的边际支付意愿（MWTP）。研究结果表明，居民的付费意愿主要是受服务均等性而非富裕程度的驱动。异质性分析进一步表明，多样性价值与服务类别密切相关。该值对于购物服务和教育文化服务为正，而对于餐饮服务、生活服务和体育休闲服务为负。“15分钟社区生活圈”在数字时代仍然很强大，尽管它的价值越来越集中在本地化的体验式服务上。同时，服务的丰富性显示出中低收入群体的必要性，而服务的平等性显示出对所有收入水平的普遍吸引力。从空间上看，服务多样性边际支付意愿呈倒u型分布。相反，均匀性的价值体现了空间的普遍性。通过解构服务多样性的经济价值，本研究为城市规划实践从追求数量转向强调结构和公平提供了系统的经验证据。

{"title":"Marginal willingness to pay for Urban service diversity in 15-Minute community life circle: A case study of Xiamen","authors":"Chao Zhang, Xinya Bi, Hongli He, Yajie Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103912","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103912","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The 15-Minute Community Life Circle is a frontier planning concept for enhancing urban livability. However, the economic value of its core principle, diversity, and its underlying structure, remain to be thoroughly explored. Based on panel data from 3183 communities in Xiamen City from 2021 to 2024, this study constructs a multidimensional measurement system for 133 types of urban service facilities, incorporating four indices: Patrick richness index (R), Shannon-wiener index (H), Simpson's diversity index (D), and Pielou's evenness index (J′). We then systematically evaluate the Marginal Willingness to Pay (MWTP) for urban service diversity. The findings indicate that residents' willingness to pay is primarily driven by service evenness rather than mere richness. Heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the value of diversity is closely correlated with service categories. This value is positive for shopping services and educational and cultural services, whereas it presents as negative for dining services, life services, and sports and leisure services. The 15-Minute Community Life Circle remains robust in the digital age, although its value is increasingly concentrated on localized, experiential services. Concurrently, service richness exhibits attributes of a necessity for low- and middle-income groups, whereas service evenness demonstrates universal appeal across all income levels. Spatially, the Marginal Willingness to Pay for service diversity follows an \"inverted U-shaped\" distribution. In contrast, the value of evenness demonstrates spatial universality. By deconstructing the economic value of service diversity, this research provides systematic empirical evidence for urban planning practices to shift focus from pursuing quantity to emphasizing structure and equity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 103912"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Dynamic differences in urban park accessibility across age groups: A case study of Shanghai, China 城市公园可达性在不同年龄层的动态差异——以上海市为例

IF 5.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Applied Geography

Pub Date : 2026-01-27 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103910

Chuanyao Li , Zhukai He , Junren Wang

As an important component of urban green spaces, urban parks play an important role in building sustainable cities and offer numerous benefits to residents. Among these residents, the older population, as a vulnerable group, is more likely to suffer equity and environmental justice issues when accessing urban park services. Therefore, there is a need to examine how urban park accessibility has changed over time and whether the older population has gained more equal services during this process. Using the SD2SFCA method, this study analyses the dynamic changes in urban park walking accessibility for both the older population and the general population in Shanghai from 2016 to 2020, and quantifies the relative role of population, urban parks, and the transport network on accessibility changes. Moreover, the study examines the accessibility gap between these two groups and how that gap changes over time. Results show that during the study period, the spatial accessibility, absolute population shares of accessible residents, and horizontal equity of both groups continuously improved. However, in the suburbs, the accessibility gap between them is continuously widening. Over time, the older population in the suburbs faces increasing inequity in accessing urban park services. This accessibility gap forms a "circular effect", which becomes more obvious as the threshold increases. The study enriches existing research on urban park accessibility, provides empirical support for urban park planning in the context of population ageing, and contributes to the sustainable development of cities and the age-friendly city construction.

作为城市绿地的重要组成部分，城市公园在建设可持续发展的城市中发挥着重要作用，为居民提供了许多好处。在这些居民中，老年人作为弱势群体，在使用城市公园服务时更容易遭受公平和环境正义问题。因此，有必要研究城市公园可达性如何随着时间的推移而变化，以及老年人口在此过程中是否获得了更平等的服务。采用SD2SFCA方法，分析了2016 - 2020年上海市城市公园老年人群和普通人群步行可达性的动态变化，量化了人口、城市公园和交通网络对可达性变化的相对作用。此外，该研究还调查了这两个群体之间的可访问性差距，以及这种差距如何随着时间的推移而变化。结果表明：研究期间，两组可达性居民的空间可达性、绝对人口份额和水平公平性均持续提高。然而，在郊区，两者之间的可达性差距在不断扩大。随着时间的推移，郊区的老年人口在使用城市公园服务方面面临越来越大的不平等。这种可达性差距形成了一种“循环效应”，随着阈值的增加，这种效应变得更加明显。本研究丰富了现有的城市公园可达性研究，为人口老龄化背景下的城市公园规划提供了实证支持，有助于城市的可持续发展和老年人友好型城市建设。

{"title":"Dynamic differences in urban park accessibility across age groups: A case study of Shanghai, China","authors":"Chuanyao Li , Zhukai He , Junren Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103910","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103910","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As an important component of urban green spaces, urban parks play an important role in building sustainable cities and offer numerous benefits to residents. Among these residents, the older population, as a vulnerable group, is more likely to suffer equity and environmental justice issues when accessing urban park services. Therefore, there is a need to examine how urban park accessibility has changed over time and whether the older population has gained more equal services during this process. Using the SD2SFCA method, this study analyses the dynamic changes in urban park walking accessibility for both the older population and the general population in Shanghai from 2016 to 2020, and quantifies the relative role of population, urban parks, and the transport network on accessibility changes. Moreover, the study examines the accessibility gap between these two groups and how that gap changes over time. Results show that during the study period, the spatial accessibility, absolute population shares of accessible residents, and horizontal equity of both groups continuously improved. However, in the suburbs, the accessibility gap between them is continuously widening. Over time, the older population in the suburbs faces increasing inequity in accessing urban park services. This accessibility gap forms a \"circular effect\", which becomes more obvious as the threshold increases. The study enriches existing research on urban park accessibility, provides empirical support for urban park planning in the context of population ageing, and contributes to the sustainable development of cities and the age-friendly city construction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 103910"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

From resource curse to resilience restructuring: How does the innovation ecosystems' organicity reshape industrial transformation in resource-based regions? A case study of China's π-shaped Curve Area 从资源诅咒到弹性重构：创新生态系统的有机性如何重塑资源型地区的产业转型？以中国π形曲线面积为例

IF 5.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Applied Geography

Pub Date : 2026-01-22 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103907

Yifang Sun

Resilience restructuring offers a novel perspective for understanding industrial transformation in resource-based cities. Using China's Yellow River's π-shaped Curve Area (2010–2023) as a case study, this paper constructed a three-dimensional Quality-Structure-Function framework to analyze the organicity of regional innovation ecosystems (IEs), TOPSIS, order parameter modelling, and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis were employed to deconstruct IE configurations and their pathways for restructuring industrial resilience. Findings revealed that IE organicity in the Curve Area exhibited a gradient differentiation characterized by provincial capitals as core nodes, growing resources-based cities as high-ground, and declining resources-based cities as collapsed zones. Industrial resilience evolved along three trajectories: fluctuating improvement, fluctuating reversal, and fluctuating decline. The pathways for innovation-driven resilience reconstruction included Quality-Function driven, Structure-Function compensatory, and full-element synergistic approaches. Among these, growing resource-based cities adopted Quality-Function driven pathways; mature resource-based cities relied on Functional output; declining resource-based cities were constrained by Quality-Function limitations; regenerative resource-based cities depended on three-dimensional coordination; hub cities required matched Functional output. This study thus proposed adaptive governance recommendations centered on aligning IE's organicity to promote resilience, offering a China informed approach for other resource-based cities.

弹性重构为理解资源型城市产业转型提供了新的视角。本文以中国黄河π形曲线区（2010-2023）为例，构建了区域创新生态系统（IEs）有机性的三维质量-结构-功能框架，运用TOPSIS、序参数模型和模糊集定性比较分析等方法解构IE配置及其重构产业弹性的路径。结果表明，曲线区域的IE有机度呈现出以省会城市为核心节点、以资源型城市为高地、以资源型城市为崩溃带的梯度分化特征。工业弹性沿着三个轨迹演化：波动改善、波动逆转和波动下降。创新驱动的弹性重建路径包括质量-功能驱动、结构-功能补偿和全要素协同。其中，增长型资源型城市采用质量-功能驱动路径；以功能产出为依托的成熟资源型城市；资源型城市衰退受到质量功能限制；基于三维协调的再生资源型城市；枢纽城市需要匹配的功能输出。因此，本研究提出了适应性治理建议，其核心是调整工业城市的有机性，以提高弹性，为其他资源型城市提供了一种符合中国国情的方法。

{"title":"From resource curse to resilience restructuring: How does the innovation ecosystems' organicity reshape industrial transformation in resource-based regions? A case study of China's π-shaped Curve Area","authors":"Yifang Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103907","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103907","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Resilience restructuring offers a novel perspective for understanding industrial transformation in resource-based cities. Using China's Yellow River's π-shaped Curve Area (2010–2023) as a case study, this paper constructed a three-dimensional Quality-Structure-Function framework to analyze the organicity of regional innovation ecosystems (IEs), TOPSIS, order parameter modelling, and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis were employed to deconstruct IE configurations and their pathways for restructuring industrial resilience. Findings revealed that IE organicity in the Curve Area exhibited a gradient differentiation characterized by provincial capitals as core nodes, growing resources-based cities as high-ground, and declining resources-based cities as collapsed zones. Industrial resilience evolved along three trajectories: fluctuating improvement, fluctuating reversal, and fluctuating decline. The pathways for innovation-driven resilience reconstruction included Quality-Function driven, Structure-Function compensatory, and full-element synergistic approaches. Among these, growing resource-based cities adopted Quality-Function driven pathways; mature resource-based cities relied on Functional output; declining resource-based cities were constrained by Quality-Function limitations; regenerative resource-based cities depended on three-dimensional coordination; hub cities required matched Functional output. This study thus proposed adaptive governance recommendations centered on aligning IE's organicity to promote resilience, offering a China informed approach for other resource-based cities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 103907"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Quantifying global-scale mechanisms of urban morphological change: A novel Structural Equation Model based on the Pressure-State-Response framework 量化全球尺度的城市形态变化机制：基于压力-状态-响应框架的结构方程模型

IF 5.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Applied Geography

Pub Date : 2026-01-21 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103908

Tuo Chen , Xuecao Li , Mengqing Geng , Shirao Liu , Guojiang Yu , Heyu Ma

Understanding the drivers of urban morphological change is vital for sustainable urban development, yet quantitative analyses of long-term, global-scale urban morphological evolution remain limited. In this study, we examined spatiotemporal changes in urban morphology across 27 major cities in the Global North and South from 2000 to 2020, using a structural equation model (SEM) integrated with the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework. We integrated global datasets to quantify latent variables (e.g., Pressure, State, Response) and their observed indicators, including building fraction (BF), building height (BH), socioeconomic and environmental metrics. Results indicate that horizontal expansion (BF) outpaced vertical growth (BH), particularly in Global South cities, with BF increasing by 41.7 % relative to a 2.0 % net decrease in BH. The influence of economic growth on urban morphology exhibited a weakening trend in the Global South, with the mean path coefficient shifting from 0.34 to −0.60, whereas this influence remained persistently negative in Global North cities. Meanwhile, environmental constraints intensified, as evidenced by mean negative coefficients intensifying from −0.22 to −0.32 in the Global North and from −0.25 to −0.22 in the Global South. Notably, the role of vertical growth in urban adaptation underwent a significant transition from a negative to a positive influence, with path coefficients shifting from −0.25 to 0.18 to promote urban sustainability. These findings highlight the divergent evolutionary trajectories of global urban morphology, underscoring the need for tailored planning strategies that manage rapid expansion in emerging cities and optimize urban forms in developed cities to enhance global urban sustainability.

了解城市形态变化的驱动因素对城市可持续发展至关重要，但对长期、全球尺度的城市形态演变的定量分析仍然有限。本研究采用结构方程模型（SEM）结合压力-状态-响应（PSR）框架，分析了2000 - 2020年全球南北27个主要城市城市形态的时空变化。我们整合了全球数据集来量化潜在变量（例如，压力、状态、响应）及其观察到的指标，包括建筑分数（BF）、建筑高度（BH）、社会经济和环境指标。结果表明，水平扩张（BF）超过了垂直增长（BH），尤其是在全球南方城市，相对于2.0%的净下降，BF增长了41.7%。在全球南方，经济增长对城市形态的影响呈减弱趋势，平均路径系数从0.34变为- 0.60，而在全球北方城市，这种影响持续为负。与此同时，环境约束加剧，全球北方的平均负系数从- 0.22增加到- 0.32，全球南方的平均负系数从- 0.25增加到- 0.22。值得注意的是，垂直增长在城市适应中的作用经历了从消极影响到积极影响的显著转变，路径系数从- 0.25转变为0.18，以促进城市可持续性。这些研究结果凸显了全球城市形态演化轨迹的差异，强调了有必要制定有针对性的规划策略，以管理新兴城市的快速扩张，优化发达城市的城市形态，从而增强全球城市的可持续性。

{"title":"Quantifying global-scale mechanisms of urban morphological change: A novel Structural Equation Model based on the Pressure-State-Response framework","authors":"Tuo Chen , Xuecao Li , Mengqing Geng , Shirao Liu , Guojiang Yu , Heyu Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103908","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103908","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the drivers of urban morphological change is vital for sustainable urban development, yet quantitative analyses of long-term, global-scale urban morphological evolution remain limited. In this study, we examined spatiotemporal changes in urban morphology across 27 major cities in the Global North and South from 2000 to 2020, using a structural equation model (SEM) integrated with the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework. We integrated global datasets to quantify latent variables (e.g., Pressure, State, Response) and their observed indicators, including building fraction (BF), building height (BH), socioeconomic and environmental metrics. Results indicate that horizontal expansion (BF) outpaced vertical growth (BH), particularly in Global South cities, with BF increasing by 41.7 % relative to a 2.0 % net decrease in BH. The influence of economic growth on urban morphology exhibited a weakening trend in the Global South, with the mean path coefficient shifting from 0.34 to −0.60, whereas this influence remained persistently negative in Global North cities. Meanwhile, environmental constraints intensified, as evidenced by mean negative coefficients intensifying from −0.22 to −0.32 in the Global North and from −0.25 to −0.22 in the Global South. Notably, the role of vertical growth in urban adaptation underwent a significant transition from a negative to a positive influence, with path coefficients shifting from −0.25 to 0.18 to promote urban sustainability. These findings highlight the divergent evolutionary trajectories of global urban morphology, underscoring the need for tailored planning strategies that manage rapid expansion in emerging cities and optimize urban forms in developed cities to enhance global urban sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 103908"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Quality of schools and inequalities in access: A socio-territorial analysis 教育质量与教育机会不平等：社会-地域分析

IF 5.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Applied Geography

Pub Date : 2026-01-20 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103909

Javier Rueda , Filipe Moura , Victor Cantillo

This paper examines the accessibility of high school students to public transportation and active modes, taking into account the quality of schools in the Barranquilla Metropolitan Area (BMA), Colombia, using the Balanced Float Catchment Area methodology with binary impedance functions. The study also utilizes Gini index values to assess the distribution of accessibility among the population and the Palma ratio to examine the inequalities between the wealthiest 10 % and the poorest 40 % of the population aged 12–17. A spatial analysis was employed to investigate the relationship between school quality and socioeconomic status. Results reveal notable spatial variations in school quality accessibility, emphasizing the prevalence of low-quality schools, particularly in zones characterized by concentrated poverty. The analysis highlights the concentration of higher-quality schools in zones inhabited by individuals of higher socioeconomic strata. Socioeconomic inequalities are evident, indicating that wealthier students have greater access to higher-quality schools. At the same time, low- and medium-income populations are more likely to attend schools of medium and low quality. The Palma ratio confirms pronounced socio-territorial inequalities, particularly for high-quality schools situated in high-income areas. The paper concludes by suggesting policies and actions to overcome the barriers to accessing high-quality education for low- and medium-income students.

本文采用带有二元阻抗函数的平衡浮子集水区方法，考察了哥伦比亚巴兰基亚大都会区（BMA）高中学生使用公共交通和主动交通方式的可达性，同时考虑了学校的质量。该研究还利用基尼指数值来评估人口中的可达性分布，并利用帕尔马比率来研究12-17岁人口中最富有的10%和最贫穷的40%之间的不平等。采用空间分析的方法，探讨学校质量与社会经济地位的关系。结果显示，学校质量可达性存在显著的空间差异，强调了低质量学校的普遍存在，特别是在集中贫困地区。该分析强调，高质量学校集中在社会经济阶层较高的个人居住的地区。社会经济不平等很明显，这表明富裕的学生有更多机会进入高质量的学校。与此同时，低收入和中等收入人群更有可能就读中等和低质量的学校。帕尔马比率证实了明显的社会地域不平等，尤其是高收入地区的高质量学校。本文最后提出了政策和行动建议，以克服中低收入学生获得高质量教育的障碍。

{"title":"Quality of schools and inequalities in access: A socio-territorial analysis","authors":"Javier Rueda , Filipe Moura , Victor Cantillo","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103909","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103909","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines the accessibility of high school students to public transportation and active modes, taking into account the quality of schools in the Barranquilla Metropolitan Area (BMA), Colombia, using the Balanced Float Catchment Area methodology with binary impedance functions. The study also utilizes Gini index values to assess the distribution of accessibility among the population and the Palma ratio to examine the inequalities between the wealthiest 10 % and the poorest 40 % of the population aged 12–17. A spatial analysis was employed to investigate the relationship between school quality and socioeconomic status. Results reveal notable spatial variations in school quality accessibility, emphasizing the prevalence of low-quality schools, particularly in zones characterized by concentrated poverty. The analysis highlights the concentration of higher-quality schools in zones inhabited by individuals of higher socioeconomic strata. Socioeconomic inequalities are evident, indicating that wealthier students have greater access to higher-quality schools. At the same time, low- and medium-income populations are more likely to attend schools of medium and low quality. The Palma ratio confirms pronounced socio-territorial inequalities, particularly for high-quality schools situated in high-income areas. The paper concludes by suggesting policies and actions to overcome the barriers to accessing high-quality education for low- and medium-income students.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 103909"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The role of AI in promoting urban sustainable development: Evidence from China's new generation of national AI innovative development pilot zones 人工智能在促进城市可持续发展中的作用：来自中国新一代国家人工智能创新发展试验区的证据

IF 5.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Applied Geography

Pub Date : 2026-01-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103906

Hongwei Liu, Min Tan, Ruihua Cao

In the context of the development of digital intelligence, there is an urgent need for further investigation of the impact mechanism of artificial intelligence (AI) on the urban sustainable development. Based on the theory of sustainable development, this research uses the panel data of 274 Chinese cities from 2014 to 2022, adopts the multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) method, takes China's New Generation of National AI Innovative Development Pilot Zones Policy as a quasi-natural experiment, and measures the performance of urban sustainable development with the data envelopment analysis model (DEA) based on non-radial distance functions (NDDF) to explore the impact and mechanism of AI on urban sustainable development. The results show that: (1) AI has a significant positive impact on urban sustainable development, in which enhancing public environmental awareness, promoting energy conservation and emission reduction, and decreasing the cost of green technological innovation are important path mechanisms; (2) heterogeneity analysis shows that the impact of AI on urban sustainable development is more significant in cities with higher population density, a higher degree of marketization, and non-resource-dependent cities as well as in cities located in the eastern, central, or southern regions; and (3) there is a spatial spillover effect of the impact of AI on urban sustainable development. This research deepens understanding of the path mechanism of AI in promoting urban sustainable development, expands the application boundary of sustainable development theory, and provides theoretical support and practical inspiration for urban sustainable development.

在数字智能发展的背景下，迫切需要进一步研究人工智能（AI）对城市可持续发展的影响机制。本研究基于可持续发展理论，采用2014 - 2022年274个中国城市的面板数据，采用多期差中差（DID）方法，将中国新一代国家人工智能创新发展试验区政策作为准自然实验，采用基于非径向距离函数（NDDF）的数据包络分析模型（DEA）测度城市可持续发展绩效，探讨人工智能对城市可持续发展的影响及机制。研究结果表明：(1)人工智能对城市可持续发展具有显著的正向影响，其中增强公众环保意识、促进节能减排、降低绿色技术创新成本是重要的路径机制；(2)异质性分析表明，人工智能对城市可持续发展的影响在人口密度高、市场化程度高、非资源依赖型城市以及东部、中部和南部城市更为显著；③人工智能对城市可持续发展的影响存在空间溢出效应。本研究加深了对人工智能促进城市可持续发展路径机制的认识，拓展了可持续发展理论的应用边界，为城市可持续发展提供了理论支持和实践启示。

{"title":"The role of AI in promoting urban sustainable development: Evidence from China's new generation of national AI innovative development pilot zones","authors":"Hongwei Liu, Min Tan, Ruihua Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103906","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103906","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the context of the development of digital intelligence, there is an urgent need for further investigation of the impact mechanism of artificial intelligence (AI) on the urban sustainable development. Based on the theory of sustainable development, this research uses the panel data of 274 Chinese cities from 2014 to 2022, adopts the multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) method, takes China's New Generation of National AI Innovative Development Pilot Zones Policy as a quasi-natural experiment, and measures the performance of urban sustainable development with the data envelopment analysis model (DEA) based on non-radial distance functions (NDDF) to explore the impact and mechanism of AI on urban sustainable development. The results show that: (1) AI has a significant positive impact on urban sustainable development, in which enhancing public environmental awareness, promoting energy conservation and emission reduction, and decreasing the cost of green technological innovation are important path mechanisms; (2) heterogeneity analysis shows that the impact of AI on urban sustainable development is more significant in cities with higher population density, a higher degree of marketization, and non-resource-dependent cities as well as in cities located in the eastern, central, or southern regions; and (3) there is a spatial spillover effect of the impact of AI on urban sustainable development. This research deepens understanding of the path mechanism of AI in promoting urban sustainable development, expands the application boundary of sustainable development theory, and provides theoretical support and practical inspiration for urban sustainable development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 103906"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146038898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The role of built environment in promoting physical and social activities among older adults: Insights from a machine learning approach 建筑环境在促进老年人身体和社会活动中的作用：来自机器学习方法的见解

IF 5.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Applied Geography

Pub Date : 2026-01-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103904

Yuneng Jiang , Jia Guo , Peiyao Zhang

Enhancing physical and social recreational activities for the elderly can effectively achieve healthy aging. This study utilizes data from 1020 elderly people in Suzhou and employs a machine learning model to investigate the nonlinear effects of the built environment on physical and social activities for the elderly. Eleven built environment elements and twelve individual socio-demographic variables are selected as explained variables. The results indicate that street connectivity and road density are the two largest contributors to predicting active activities among all influences for physical and social recreational activities for the elderly. Street sky rate and street greening rate are two variables influence social activities of older adults. Accessibility of amenities such as supermarket and living facilities are positively correlated with both physical and social activity of older adults. Besides, income and mental health are two important social-demographic factors influencing the activities of older adults. Nonlinear or threshold effects are also confirmed for most built environment factors. The findings suggest that the built environment's influence on older adults' activity patterns exhibits threshold effects. In addition, age was found to play a limited moderating role in the relationship between the built environment and older adults' activities. The older the individual, the higher the demand for accessibility to community greenery and amenities. These results provide a rational reference for elder-friendly community planning.

加强老年人的体育和社会娱乐活动，可以有效地实现健康老龄化。本研究利用苏州1020名老年人的数据，采用机器学习模型来研究建筑环境对老年人身体和社会活动的非线性影响。选择11个建筑环境要素和12个个体社会人口变量作为解释变量。结果表明，在所有影响老年人身体和社会娱乐活动的因素中，街道连通性和道路密度是预测活跃活动的两个最大因素。街道天空率和街道绿化率是影响老年人社会活动的两个变量。超市、生活设施等便利设施的可达性与老年人的身体活动和社会活动呈正相关。此外，收入和心理健康是影响老年人活动的两个重要社会人口因素。非线性或阈值效应也证实了大多数建筑环境因素。研究结果表明，建筑环境对老年人活动模式的影响表现出阈值效应。此外，年龄在建筑环境与老年人活动之间的关系中起有限的调节作用。个人年龄越大，对社区绿化和设施的可达性要求越高。研究结果为老年人友好型社区规划提供了合理参考。

{"title":"The role of built environment in promoting physical and social activities among older adults: Insights from a machine learning approach","authors":"Yuneng Jiang , Jia Guo , Peiyao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103904","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103904","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enhancing physical and social recreational activities for the elderly can effectively achieve healthy aging. This study utilizes data from 1020 elderly people in Suzhou and employs a machine learning model to investigate the nonlinear effects of the built environment on physical and social activities for the elderly. Eleven built environment elements and twelve individual socio-demographic variables are selected as explained variables. The results indicate that street connectivity and road density are the two largest contributors to predicting active activities among all influences for physical and social recreational activities for the elderly. Street sky rate and street greening rate are two variables influence social activities of older adults. Accessibility of amenities such as supermarket and living facilities are positively correlated with both physical and social activity of older adults. Besides, income and mental health are two important social-demographic factors influencing the activities of older adults. Nonlinear or threshold effects are also confirmed for most built environment factors. The findings suggest that the built environment's influence on older adults' activity patterns exhibits threshold effects. In addition, age was found to play a limited moderating role in the relationship between the built environment and older adults' activities. The older the individual, the higher the demand for accessibility to community greenery and amenities. These results provide a rational reference for elder-friendly community planning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 103904"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146038899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Heterogeneous impacts of urban network centrality on economic growth: A county-level analysis in China 城市网络中心性对经济增长的异质性影响：中国县域分析

IF 5.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Applied Geography

Pub Date : 2026-01-16 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103902

Zongnan Hu , Sol Maria Halleck Vega , Shijin Qu , Shougeng Hu

Urban development in China has increasingly transitioned from isolated growth to cooperative, networked patterns, referred to as “urban networks”. This study investigates the impact of urban networks on economic growth at the county level, addressing the heterogeneity of network effects based on cities’ positions within these networks and accounting for the complex economic interactions among county-level administrative units nested within prefecture-level jurisdictions. The results reveal a highly centralized urban network structure, with most connections concentrated among core cities / peripheral cities linked to these cores. The economic effects of network participation are markedly uneven: cities in the top 10% of network centrality experience significant benefits, whereas others face challenges in achieving growth. To foster greater regional equity, governments should consider a strategy of differentiated urban development. The study proposes calibrating the distribution of incremental construction land quotas to offset disequilibria that may arise from urban network dynamics.

中国的城市发展日益从孤立的增长模式转变为合作的、网络化的模式，被称为“城市网络”。本研究考察了城市网络对县域经济增长的影响，解决了基于城市在这些网络中的位置的网络效应的异质性，并考虑了地级管辖范围内嵌套的县级行政单位之间复杂的经济相互作用。结果显示，城市网络结构高度集中，大部分连接集中在核心城市/与这些核心相连的外围城市之间。网络参与的经济影响明显不均衡：网络中心度排名前10%的城市获得了显著收益，而其他城市在实现增长方面则面临挑战。为了促进更大的区域公平，各国政府应考虑差别化城市发展战略。该研究建议调整增量建设用地配额的分配，以抵消城市网络动态可能引起的不平衡。

{"title":"Heterogeneous impacts of urban network centrality on economic growth: A county-level analysis in China","authors":"Zongnan Hu , Sol Maria Halleck Vega , Shijin Qu , Shougeng Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103902","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2026.103902","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban development in China has increasingly transitioned from isolated growth to cooperative, networked patterns, referred to as “urban networks”. This study investigates the impact of urban networks on economic growth at the county level, addressing the heterogeneity of network effects based on cities’ positions within these networks and accounting for the complex economic interactions among county-level administrative units nested within prefecture-level jurisdictions. The results reveal a highly centralized urban network structure, with most connections concentrated among core cities / peripheral cities linked to these cores. The economic effects of network participation are markedly uneven: cities in the top 10% of network centrality experience significant benefits, whereas others face challenges in achieving growth. To foster greater regional equity, governments should consider a strategy of differentiated urban development. The study proposes calibrating the distribution of incremental construction land quotas to offset disequilibria that may arise from urban network dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 103902"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0