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Infrastructure financialization is an important economic phenomenon in urbanization and urban financialization. The existing studies are mainly focused on qualitative and theoretical analysis around the world. To quantitatively evaluate the impact of infrastructure financialization on uneven regional development, this study firstly measures the characteristics of uneven regional development in China, then we use the Tobit model to analyze the impact of infrastructure financialization based on panel data from 2006 to 2019. The results find that infrastructure financialization plays a significant role in uneven regional development in China. Low infrastructure financialization constrains the economic growth and urbanization of underdeveloped regions. This study not only contributes to the knowledge body of global financialization theory, but also provides a scientific basis for the optimization of infrastructure development both in China and the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban metabolism is a complex system of materials, energy, population and environment, which usually can be measured by the Emergy Synthesis (ES) and the Slacks-Based Measure (SBM) approach. In this paper, by employing the two approaches of ES and SBM, as well as metabolic evolution index, urban metabolic stocks, efficiencies and elasticity of 31 Chinese cities are evaluated in a systematic way. The results imply that over the last decade (2000-2010), most of the cities, such as Chongqing, Nanjing, Shijiazhuang, Hangzhou, were experiencing drastic urban metabolic efficiency decline accompanied with a moderate decrease of industrial outputs. By contrast, metropolises and specialized cities have improved their urban metabolic performances, with higher output-input ratio and fewer undesirable outputs. However, their exported emergy experienced a substantial increase as well. It is concluded that local urban management might develop policies to diversify urban renewable supplies and address the undesirable output problems. The urban emergy of renewable resources should be specified as a prime focus for future research. In addition, mechanisms of different urban metabolic models will also be necessary for researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture in peri-urban areas is prone to dynamic changes due to urban influences. Previous studies have explored the impact of urban growth on peri-urban agriculture (PUA), but the active responses of the agricultural sector are rarely examined. This paper investigates recent agricultural development practices in peri-urban Beijing and explores approaches to agricultural transformation in the rapid process of urbanisation. The investigation finds that high-tech precision agriculture, down-stream processing and agro-tourism have emerged as major forms of PUA in Beijing. It also uncovers that the PUA developments are not only economically appealing, but also socially inclusive and environmental friendly. The findings contribute to a better understanding of PUA progress in China. The paper suggests policy implications in facilitating integrated development between urban and rural sectors, which would help improve economic development, spatial planning and local governance in peri-urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Although the scale and speed of China’s urban and economic transition is well acknowledged, a detailed account of the transformation of a single city’s development in this context is quite rare. This paper provides an insight into the recent dynamics of China’s capital city, Beijing. In the early 1980s, China’s transition process from a planned to a market economy started to deeply affect the urban economy of Beijing, so much so that the city is on its way to become one of the world’s leading cities. This article focuses on this development by looking at Beijing’s institutional context and its economic-spatial dynamics over the past 30years. Economic Clusters (ECs) are also discussed because they have contributed significantly to Beijing’s rapid growth and change. The city’s development is however under increasing pressures of ecological deterioration, limited water resources, high living costs and uncertainties regarding the future urban policy orientation of the city region. These current challenges and responses in planning are assessed and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The peri-urban area of fast growing Chinese cities is under great pressure from the land demands of urban expansion, resulting in the loss of arable land, environmental deterioration and social exclusion of village communities. The recent development of agro-tourism enterprises in peri-urban areas, as a form of commercial urban agriculture, offers a means to promote integrated urban and rural development in a manner that can counteract some of the negative impacts of urbanization. This paper describes and analyzes the performance of a large-scale agro-tourism enterprise, Xiedao Green Resort in Beijing, over the period 2004–2008. The business model combines agricultural production and tourism services fostering a demand-supply relationship between urban and rural areas. It offers a way to improve the quality of agricultural products and services, while developing multiple functions of agro-tourism which have wider economic, environmental and social benefits, creating opportunities for integrated and sustainable urban–rural development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]