Yuefei Zhuo

Urban vitality is regarded as a cornerstone of sustainable urban development. While land use mix (LUM) is widely acknowledged for fostering vitality, most empirical evidence relies on mean-effect models, neglecting the heterogeneous impacts across different vitality levels. This overlooks the complex, context-dependent nature of LUM and risks perpetuating one-size-fits-all planning. Based on a theoretical framework that links LUM analysis with contemporary urban revitalization, public governance, and smart city development discussions, this study leverages a Spatial Durbin Quantile Regression (SDQR) framework with multi-source geospatial data from 511 blocks in Ningbo, China, to systematically investigate the distributional heterogeneity of LUM’s effects on urban vitality. We decompose LUM into “diversity”, “proximity”, and “coordination” dimensions, revealing three distinct mechanisms across the vitality spectrum. Results show “coordination” acts as a fundamental “ignite” mechanism, consistently driving vitality across all quantiles, especially in new towns and low-vitality areas. “Diversity” primarily serves as a “boost” mechanism, enhancing vitality in medium-to-high vitality areas, demonstrating a non-linear, conditional effect. Crucially, “proximity” exhibits a novel “cap & siphon” mechanism: its direct effect is often insignificant or negative in low-vitality areas (suggesting structural mismatch), while its significant negative spatial spillover effect (siphon effect) across all quantiles, particularly in low-vitality zones, highlights intense inter-area competition. Furthermore, LUM’s direct effects tend to diminish in high-vitality areas, indicating a saturation or “cap” effect. By revealing these heterogeneous impacts and spatial spillover dynamics, this research refines the boundary conditions of classic mixed-use propositions and provides a differentiated planning paradigm, moving from universal zoning to context-specific, stage-calibrated interventions that address areas based on their current vitality levels, spatial interactions and governance contexts.

The global countryside constitutes a complex social–ecological system undergoing profound transformation. Understanding how such systems navigate transitions and achieve resilient, sustainable outcomes requires examining the interactions and adaptive behaviors of multiple actors. This study investigates the restructuring of rural China through a complex adaptive systems lens, focusing on the county of Lin’an in Zhejiang Province. We employ a middle-range theory and process-tracing approach to analyze the co-evolutionary pathways shaped by the interactions among three key agents: local governments, enterprises, and village communities. Our findings reveal distinct yet interdependent behavioral logics—local governments and enterprises primarily exhibit instrumental rationality, driven by political performance and profit maximization, respectively, while villages demonstrate value-rational behavior anchored in communal well-being and territorial identity. Crucially, this study identifies the emergence of a vital integrative mechanism, the “village operator” model, underpinned by the collective economy. This institutional innovation facilitates the synergistic linkage of interests and the integration of endogenous and exogenous resources, thereby mitigating conflicts and alienation. We argue that this multi-agent collaboration drives a synergistic restructuring of spatial, economic, and social subsystems. The case demonstrates that sustainable rural revitalization hinges not on the dominance of a single logic, but on the emergence of adaptive governance structures that effectively coordinate diverse actor logics. This process fosters systemic resilience, enabling the rural system to adapt to external pressures and internal changes. The Lin’an experience offers a transferable framework for understanding how coordinated multi-agent interactions can guide complex social–ecological systems toward sustainable transitions.

The modernization of agriculture within developing nations represents a complex challenge at the intersection of social and economic systems. Enhancing agricultural labor productivity (ALP) is the key to increasing farmers’ incomes and promoting rural economic development in low- and middle-income countries. To reveal the deep-seated factors that restrict the improvement of ALP, this study, based on the internal and external development constraints of farmers, uses the 2020 data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) database. It systematically analyzes the effects and internal logic of farmers’ livelihood capital and farmland transfer on ALP, employing both an endogenous switching regression model and a generalized structural equation model. The findings of this study are as follows: (1) Physical capital, financial capital and social capital can significantly increase the probability of farmers participating in the farmland transfer and transfer-in. Moreover, physical capital can significantly reduce the probability of farmers participating in the farmland transfer-out. (2) Physical capital is significantly and positively correlated with the ALP of both farmland transfer farmers and non-transfer farmers. Financial capital has a significant positive correlation with the ALP of transfer-in farmers. Social capital is significantly positively correlated with the ALP of non-transfer farmers. (3) Farmland transfer can significantly improve ALP, and the productivity-enhancing effect of farmland transferring-in is considerably more pronounced than that of transferring-out. (4) Mediation analysis reveals that physical and social capital enhance ALP by promoting farmer participation in the farmland transfer market. When classified by different transfer behaviors, physical capital enhances ALP by promoting both the transferring-in and transferring-out of land. Financial capital and social capital can promote farmers’ transfer-in of land to enhance ALP. (5) The heterogeneity analysis shows that, compared with the other two types of farmers, farmland transfer has the most significant effect on improving the ALP of livelihood capital-abundant farmers, while farmland transfer-in has the greatest efficiency improvement effect for capital-deficient farmers, and farmland transfer-out has the greatest efficiency improvement effect for capital-balanced farmers. By providing a detailed, evidence-based model of these complex interactions, this research contributes to the broader understanding of change management and innovation in the pursuit of sustainable and equitable rural futures.

The green transformation of agricultural systems is crucial for environmental protection and food security, yet smallholder-dominated systems face immense structural barriers. This study investigates whether agricultural socialized services (ASSs)—an emerging institutional innovation—can serve as a catalyst for this transition. Using household survey data from the China Land Economy Survey (CLES), this study examines the direct impact and mediating pathways of ASSs on farmers’ adoption of green production behaviors. We also reveal the heterogeneity effects of household operating scale. The results show the following: (1) Agricultural socialized services positively impact farmers’ adoption of green production behaviors, which can contribute to advancing sustainable agricultural development. (2) ASSs do not simply increase the quantity of machines. Instead, they facilitate a shift from costly asset ownership to efficient mechanization-as-a-service. (3) Furthermore, a heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive impacts of ASSs are heterogenous at different levels. ASSs more significantly influence farmers’ adoption of green practices for small-scale farms (operating at a size less than 4.8 mu). It provides robust empirical evidence that ASSs can effectively “decouple” green modernization from large-scale farmers to overcome structural barriers. These findings help to provide policy implications for promoting ASSs and sustainable agriculture production.

Forest tenure functions as a critical institutional mechanism globally for curbing deforestation and degradation and advancing sustainable forest administration, ultimately underpinning the provision of vital ecosystem services. However, research on robust forest tenure system models both globally and within China remains underdeveloped, hindering their potential as an effective administration tool. The study addresses this gap by conceptualizing China’s forest tenure system through the lens of systems thinking and proposing a Forest Cadastral System based on the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM). We conduct a comprehensive review of the evolution of China’s forest tenure system and an in-depth analysis of the current “person–right–land” configuration. Subsequently, we construct an integrated forest cadastral model structured around three core LADM-compliant packages: party, administrative, and spatial unit. The model is then tested in Ningbo’s forested highlands: trials confirm its efficacy in reconciling tenure security with ecological governance. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners engaged in forest tenure reform and administration, while advancing the academic discourse on leveraging land administration systems for ecosystem service outcomes through robust institutional mechanisms.

Urban vitality, a critical emergent property of complex urban systems, is pivotal for sustainable, human-oriented urbanization. While land use mix (LUM) is recognized as a key strategy for shaping these systems, the systemic mechanisms through which its multifaceted dimensions influence urban vitality across spatio-temporal scales remain underexplored. This study examines the complex and spatially heterogeneous impacts of land use mix on 24 h urban vitality in Ningbo, China, conceptualizing the city as a dynamic socio-spatial system. By integrating multi-source data (Baidu Maps, POI, and OSM) and employing OLS and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models, we unravel these systemic relationships. Key findings include the following: (1) LUM significantly enhances urban vitality, acting as a crucial urban system configuration for both daytime and nighttime activity. (2) The efficacy of LUM stems more from systemic interconnections—convenient access to adjacent spaces (proximity) and functional coordination among diverse land uses—than mere compositional diversity, emphasizing the importance of interrelated elements within the urban fabric. (3) The system’s response to LUM exhibits significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity; proximity’s impact is most variable, while diversity and coordination effects are more stable, underscoring the dynamic and context-dependent nature of these interactions. (4) System-adaptive strategies are crucial: newly developed urban areas benefit from foundational infrastructure and land use diversity (system inputs), while revitalizing older towns requires optimizing spatial accessibility and functional coordination (enhancing existing system linkages). These findings advance the theoretical systems-based theoretical understanding of the LUM–vitality nexus while offering practical insights for urban planners and policymakers.

China’s reclamation regulation policy is an important policy tool used by the government to balance land development and ecological protection in coastal areas, but few studies have focused on the impact of the implementation of this policy on ecosystem services. To fill the gap, this study takes Ningbo City as an example, applies the InVEST model as a scenario analysis and trend indication tool, combines the market value method to quantify the ecosystem services of coastal wetlands, and explores the impact of the reclamation regulation policy on the coastal wetland ecosystem services through the regression discontinuity model. The findings are as follows: (1) from 2005 to 2020, the natural ecological landscape in the coastal zone of Ningbo City continued to shrink, but the overall value of ecosystem services showed a fluctuating upward trend. Among them, cropland and wetlands served as the primary conduits for ecosystem services in this region, highlighting the need to strengthen the protection of these two land types. (2) The implementation of reclamation regulation policy has an impact on ecosystem services. The policy implementation in 2011 appeared to suppress the downward trend of ecological habitat quality and carbon storage, while the policy implementation in 2017 had a positive impact on the enhancement of carbon storage and material production. (3) As for the effect of reclamation regulation policy on the changes in ecosystem services, although the measured positive impact of reclamation regulation policy on ecological habitat quality was less statistically pronounced compared to other services during the study period, it had significant positive effects on carbon storage and material production. On the whole, the reclamation regulation policy proves effective in contributing to the maintenance of coastal wetland ecosystem services. Although the model-based results in this study reveal more indicator trends rather than precise quantitative evidence, it helps mitigate degradation trends and enhance specific services like carbon storage and material production. Through its implementation, the policy aids in pursuing the win–win goal of balancing urban economic development and ecological environment protection.

Urban parks, a core component of urban landscapes, play a crucial role in mitigating the negative effects of rapid urbanization and achieving sustainable urban development. In densely populated urban environments, providing urban parks fairly and efficiently, taking social preferences into account, is an important challenge. In this regard, we take Hangzhou, China, as an example and use a hedonic pricing model with a difference-in-differences estimator to test the effect of different types of urban parks on housing prices, quantify their respective economic values, and reflect homebuyers’ preferences. The findings indicate that the construction of new urban parks leads to an overall increase in the value of the surrounding real estate to some extent. Specifically, the construction of comprehensive parks and large parks significantly enhances the value of nearby housing, while proximity to new medium-sized parks also results in a housing price premium, albeit to a lesser extent. In contrast, community parks and specialized parks have a less significant impact on housing prices. These findings provide valuable insights for equitable urban development and planning, optimizing the allocation of urban parks and determining investment priorities for different types of parks to enhance the sustainability of the urban environment and human well-being.

Farmland transfer is a crucial aspect of modernizing China’s agriculture, which has a significant impact on farmers’ income distribution. With rapid urbanization, farmers’ livelihood has changed significantly, and the income effects of farmland transfer will differ among heterogeneous farmers. Based on the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data, this study examines the impact of farmland transfer on farmers’ income growth and income disparity, as well as the income differences in farmland transfer among farmers with different types of livelihood capital. An endogenous switching regression model and unconditional quantile treatment effects are used to correct the selection bias and farmer heterogeneity. The results show that (1) farmland transfer increases farmers’ income. Specifically, farmland transfer-in increases farmers’ income by 21.15%, while transfer-out increases it by 43.33%. (2) The impact of farmland transfer on farmers’ income has a “Matthew effect” and will widen the income gap between farmers. (3) Moreover, farmland transfer exhibits diverse income effects on heterogeneous farmers with livelihood capital. Capital-rich farmers experience the largest income-growth effect from farmland transfer-in, while capital-balanced farmers experience the largest income-growth effect from farmland transfer-out. The policy implications are to further improve the farmland transfer market and enable low-income farmers to participate by improving their qualifications and abilities.