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22 pages, 406 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Environmental Policy Uncertainty on Enterprises’ Pollution Emissions: Evidence from Chinese Industrial Enterprise

by Dong Le, Fei Ren, Yiding Tang and Yuke Zhu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 9849; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19169849 - 10 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2522

Abstract

In response to the global call for emission reduction, China has assumed international responsibility for energy conservation and emission reduction by enacting several environmental policies to save energy and reduce consumption. However, it is debatable whether the increased uncertainty in environmental policies negatively [...] Read more.

In response to the global call for emission reduction, China has assumed international responsibility for energy conservation and emission reduction by enacting several environmental policies to save energy and reduce consumption. However, it is debatable whether the increased uncertainty in environmental policies negatively affects firms’ emission reduction. Few studies have examined this relationship based on micro-level data. Therefore, this study constructs a theoretical framework of environmental policy uncertainty affecting firms’ pollution emissions. Based on comprehensive data from the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Database, the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Pollution Emission Database, and the Chinese Patent Database from 2002 to 2014, we empirically analyzed the impact of environmental policy uncertainty on firms’ pollution emissions. The results show that (1) environmental policy uncertainty significantly aggravates the pollution emission intensity of industrial enterprises; (2) environmental policy uncertainty inhibits the improvement of enterprises’ innovation capacity, reduces their human capital stock and foreign investment, and aggravates their pollution emission; (3) environmental policy uncertainty has significant heterogeneity on enterprise pollution emissions, that is, environmental policy uncertainty has a greater impact on non-export enterprises, large enterprises, young enterprises, capital-intensive enterprises, state-owned enterprises, and enterprises in polluting industries and central regions. This study provides a useful reference for the improvement of environmental policy and the green transformation of enterprises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

20 pages, 1693 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Career Development, Institutional Factors, Social Factors and Urban Young Returnees’ Happiness in the Context of Healthy China

by Feiwei Shen, Jing Zou, Xianhong Huang, Cong Wang and Mingjie Zhao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9379; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159379 - 31 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1981

Abstract

In the context of the Healthy China 2030 Plan, the importance of the happiness of urban young returnees should not be underestimated. Based on a large-scale social survey of social practices in China, this paper applies a hierarchical linear regression model (HLM) and [...] Read more.

In the context of the Healthy China 2030 Plan, the importance of the happiness of urban young returnees should not be underestimated. Based on a large-scale social survey of social practices in China, this paper applies a hierarchical linear regression model (HLM) and a structural equation model (SEM) to investigate the determinants of urban young returnees’ happiness. The results show that the happiness of urban young returnees in China is not only influenced by their socio-demographic characteristics, such as age and education, but mainly by their occupational development, institutional factors (especially the employment and entrepreneurship policy system) and social factors (physical environment and urban rural relationship), which are different from those of ordinary residents. Further study shows that occupational development indirectly affects the happiness of urban young returnees through relationship adaptation, collective adaptation and material adaptation, the indirect effects accounts for 42.18%, 21.64% and 36.18%, respectively. Institutional factors exert an indirect effect on the happiness of urban young returnees through relationship adaptation (46.80%) and material adaptation (53.20%). Social factors indirectly affect the happiness of urban young returnees through relationship adaptation (44.20%), collective adaptation (16.96%) and material adaptation (38.84%). Policies to improve the happiness of urban young returnees are suggested. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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19 pages, 4029 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Block Chain Method for Urban Digitization Governance in Birth Registration Field: A Case Study

by Jihui Shi, Solomon Kwadwo Nyedu Danquah and Wanhao Dong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9309; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159309 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2737

Abstract

Even though digitization is widely recognized as one of the most imperative trends in achieving effective urban governance, digital infrastructure remains far from the global trend in many African countries. This paper proposes a novel, resilient data manipulation architecture model called the Birth [...] Read more.

Even though digitization is widely recognized as one of the most imperative trends in achieving effective urban governance, digital infrastructure remains far from the global trend in many African countries. This paper proposes a novel, resilient data manipulation architecture model called the Birth Notification Verification Model (BNVM) using blockchain and smart contracts. The proposed solution was evaluated in a real-world use case scenario in Ghana. The model, which is based on the Ten Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Framework, focuses on the initial inputs for birth registration at the birth notification level. The approach presented in this study paves the way for the creation of decentralized, secure, transparent, and automated systems for civil registration. The application of a smart contract architecture that blends a centralized design with an on-chain and off-chain architecture is further supported by this, providing more evidence of its viability. It offers a safe verification framework for the Ghana Birth and Death Registry based on smart contract technology and can guarantee a birth notification as proof of birth certificate registration in accordance with international standards. The findings provide insight into the use of blockchain technology in public registry institutions. Furthermore, exploring its adoption and implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa contributes to the growing field of blockchain technology research and demonstrates how the concept will address long-standing issues with corruption and security in developing countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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20 pages, 1259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does the National Fitness Policy Promote National Health?—An Empirical Study from China

by Jun-Yi Zheng, Li-Xia Luan and Mei Sun

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9191; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159191 - 27 Jul 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2800

Abstract

The influence of national health level in the stability and sustainable development of national society is increasingly prominent. The purpose of this study is to examine whether, when, and how national fitness policies exert influence on national health. Panel data from 2008 to [...] Read more.

The influence of national health level in the stability and sustainable development of national society is increasingly prominent. The purpose of this study is to examine whether, when, and how national fitness policies exert influence on national health. Panel data from 2008 to 2017 of 30 Chinese provinces (cities) (except the Tibet autonomous region) were used to systematically reveal the direct impact of national fitness policies on national health and its characteristics in different regions, as well as the interaction mechanisms of human capital and finance health expenditures in public sports. This study found that first, national fitness policies had a positive effect on adult health. Second, sports human capital weakens the health effect of national fitness policies, while public finance health expenditures strengthen this effect. Lastly, the health effect of national fitness policies varies significantly across regions due to uneven regional economic development, and the differences in the effects on different age groups (adults and children) are equally pronounced. This study suggests that national fitness public service system and diverse national fitness plans improving national health level are important for a new dynamic balance and high quality coordinated development in both Chinese economic growth and social welfare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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26 pages, 2016 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Local Disproportions of Quality of Life and Their Influence on the Process of Green Economy Development in Polish Voivodships in 2010–2020

by Grzegorz Drozdowski and Paweł Dziekański

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9185; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159185 - 27 Jul 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1790

Abstract

Voivodships are centres of economic, social, and cultural life—they gather economic and social activities. This research aimed to evaluate the spatial differentiation of the quality of life in voivodships in Poland with the use of a synthetic measure. To achieve the research objective, [...] Read more.

Voivodships are centres of economic, social, and cultural life—they gather economic and social activities. This research aimed to evaluate the spatial differentiation of the quality of life in voivodships in Poland with the use of a synthetic measure. To achieve the research objective, the research methods used were literature analysis, statistical analysis, and synthetic measure. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution method was used to build synthetic measures. The choice of variables in 2010–2020 was largely conditioned by the availability of data collected in the regional system at the level of voivodships at the Local Data Bank of the Central Statistical Office. As a result of the analysis of voivodships in Poland, based on the quality of life measure, four groups were distinguished (according to the value of quartiles). In the group of the best voivodeships there were: Pomerania, Masovia, Lower Silesia, and West Pomeranian in 2010, and Masovia, Pomerania, Greater Poland, Lower Silesia, and Lesser Poland in 2020, and in the IV, the weakest group: Lodz Province, Podlasie Province, Lubusz Province, and Holy Cross in 2010, and Lodz Province, Podlasie Province, Holy Cross, and Lublin Province in 2020. The synthetic quality of life ranged from 0.37 to 0.56 in 2010 and from 0.39 to 0.64 in 2020. Regional authorities, taking care to improve economic potential, cause increasing the attractiveness of the area and attracting new entrepreneurs, create new jobs, and improve the quality of life of the inhabitants. Quality of life is shaped by economic activity and working conditions, health, education, free time and social relations, economic and physical security, and the quality of the natural environment. The results of the research conducted allow local governments to make comparisons. The conclusions drawn may allow them to identify potential directions for developing policy optimization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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20 pages, 2871 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Affects the Economic Resilience of China’s Yellow River Basin Amid Economic Crisis—From the Perspective of Spatial Heterogeneity

by Liangang Li, Pingyu Zhang and Chengxin Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9024; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159024 - 25 Jul 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1816

Abstract

This paper contributes to the study of regional economic resilience by analyzing the dynamic characteristics and influence mechanisms of resilience from the perspective of spatial heterogeneity. This paper focuses on the resistance and recoverability dimensions of resilience and analyzed the dynamic changes in [...] Read more.

This paper contributes to the study of regional economic resilience by analyzing the dynamic characteristics and influence mechanisms of resilience from the perspective of spatial heterogeneity. This paper focuses on the resistance and recoverability dimensions of resilience and analyzed the dynamic changes in economic resilience in China’s Yellow River Basin in response to the 2008 economic crisis. The multi-scale geographical weighted regression model was utilized to examine the effect of key factors on regional economic resilience. Our findings show the following: (1) The resistance of the Yellow River Basin to the financial crisis was high; however, the recoverability decreased significantly over time. (2) The spatial heterogeneity of driving factors was significant, and they had different effect scales on economic resilience. Related variety, government agency, environment, and opening to the global economy had a significant effect on economic resilience only in a specific small range. Specialization, unrelated variety, and location had opposite effects in different regions of the Yellow River Basin. (3) Specialization limited the area’s resistance to shock but enhanced the recoverability. Related variety improved regional economic resilience. Unrelated variety was not conducive to regional resistance to shock and had opposite effects on the recoverability in different regions. (4) Government agency and financial market promoted regional economic resilience. Environment pollution and resource-based economic structure limited regional economic resilience. Opening to the global economy and urban hierarchy limited regional resistance to shock, but strong economic development had the opposite effect of improved regional resistance. The location in the east of the Yellow River Basin enhanced the recoverability; however, the location in the west limited the recoverability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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19 pages, 1615 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Air Pollution and Migration Intention: Evidence from the Unified National Graduate Entrance Examination

by Chao Xu and Xiulei Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8813; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148813 - 20 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1620

Abstract

Using a unique dataset of applicants for the Unified National Graduate Entrance Examination (UNGEE) of 76 double first-class universities in China, this paper evaluates the causal impact of air pollution on the migration intentions of highly educated talents by exploiting an instrumental variable [...] Read more.

Using a unique dataset of applicants for the Unified National Graduate Entrance Examination (UNGEE) of 76 double first-class universities in China, this paper evaluates the causal impact of air pollution on the migration intentions of highly educated talents by exploiting an instrumental variable approach based on annually average wind speed. We find that a 1 ug/m³ increase in the annually average PM_2.5 concentration in destination cities decreases the number of applicants for the UNGEE of elite universities by about 250, but better university quality and more abundant educational resources can weaken the effect partially. A heterogeneity analysis indicates that the university-city choices of applicants are shifting from north to south. Our findings suggest that air pollution may lead to the loss of high human capital. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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23 pages, 2311 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Air Pollution and Workplace Choice: Evidence from China

by Tao Lin, Wenhao Qian, Hongwei Wang and Yu Feng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8732; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148732 - 18 Jul 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2837

Abstract

Understanding the impacts of air pollution on public health and individual behavior is crucial for optimal environmental policy design. Using 2015 census microdata in China, this paper examined the causal effect of air pollution on working place choice. The research design relies on [...] Read more.

Understanding the impacts of air pollution on public health and individual behavior is crucial for optimal environmental policy design. Using 2015 census microdata in China, this paper examined the causal effect of air pollution on working place choice. The research design relies on a regression discontinuity design based on China’s Huai River Policy. The discontinuity in air pollution caused by the Huai River Policy provides a natural experiment to estimate the impact of air pollution. The results show that air pollution significantly increases the possibility of individuals working near home. The positive effect of air pollution on working near home is more significant for women, the elderly, urban individuals and those individuals working in secondary and tertiary industries. This study improves our understanding of the health effects and avoidance behavior associated with environmental hazards, discusses the negative impact of air pollution on labor mobility and mismatch by making individuals work nearby, and emphasizes that strengthening air pollution control should be a long-term policy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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27 pages, 6650 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Conceptual Framework for Blockchain Enhanced Information Modeling for Healing and Therapeutic Design

by Zhen Liu, Zulan Yang, Mingjie Liang, Yi Liu, Mohamed Osmani and Peter Demian

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 8218; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138218 - 5 Jul 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4154

Abstract

In the face of the health challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, healing and therapeutic design (HTD) as interventions can help with improving people’s health. It is considered to have great potential to promote health in the forms of art, architecture, landscape, space, [...] Read more.

In the face of the health challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, healing and therapeutic design (HTD) as interventions can help with improving people’s health. It is considered to have great potential to promote health in the forms of art, architecture, landscape, space, and environment. However, there are insufficient design approaches to address the challenges during the HTD process. An increased number of studies have shown that emerging information modeling (IM) such as building information modeling (BIM), landscape information modeling (LIM), and city information modeling (CIM) coupled with blockchain (BC) functionalities have the potential to enhance designers’ HTD by considering important design elements, namely design variables, design knowledge, and design decision. It can also address challenges during the design process, such as design changes, conflicts in design requirements, the lack of design evaluation tools and frameworks, and incomplete design information. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a conceptual BC enhanced IM for HTD (BC-HTD) framework that addresses the challenges in the HTD and promotes health and well-being. The structure of BC-HTD framework is twofold: (1) a conceptual high-level framework comprising three levels: user; system; and information, (2) a conceptual low-level framework of detailed content at the system level, which has been constructed using a mixed quantitative and qualitative method of literature analysis, and validated via a pre-interview questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with industry experts and academics. This paper analyzes the process of BC enhanced HTD and the knowledge management of HTD to aid design decisions in managing design information. This paper is the first attempt to apply the advantages of BC enabled IM to enhance the HTD process. The results of this study can foster and propel new research pathways and knowledge on the value of design in the form of non-fungible token (NFT) based on the extended advantages of BC in the field of design, which can fully mobilize the healing and therapeutic behaviors of designers and the advantage potential of HTD to promote health, and realize the vision of Health Metaverse in the context of sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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26 pages, 1499 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Complex Hybrid Model for Evaluating Projects to Improve the Sustainability and Health of Regions and Cities

by Miroslav Kelemen, Beata Gavurova and Volodymyr Polishchuk

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 8217; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138217 - 5 Jul 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2458

Abstract

The main goal of the study is to develop a complex hybrid model for evaluating projects to improve the sustainability and health of regions and cities within the European Green Deal and Industry 5.0 concepts. The complex model is a comprehensive evaluation system [...] Read more.

The main goal of the study is to develop a complex hybrid model for evaluating projects to improve the sustainability and health of regions and cities within the European Green Deal and Industry 5.0 concepts. The complex model is a comprehensive evaluation system that considers various influencing factors, the investor’s intentions regarding the need and financing of projects, as well as expert opinion on the possibility of achieving sustainability and health of regions and cities by implementing this project with the investor. The model is based on modern theory of intellectual knowledge analysis, fuzzy set theory, and systems approach. Furthermore, we have an initial quantitative assessment and the linguistic significance of the level of the project financing decision with a reliability assessment. The knowledge from the repository of 896 project plans in the field of transport submitted for implementation and financing in the period 2021–2027 was used for the creation of the model. The results of the study were tested on the examples of evaluation of five real projects and demonstrated the applied value of the methodology for evaluating the level of decision-making feasibility of project financing in uncertainty and the importance of making correct management decisions based on expert opinions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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16 pages, 1067 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Policy Mix Choices Affect the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Outcomes in Chinese Cities: An Empirical Analysis

by Chunyu Shi, Tao Xu, Zhihang Ying and Huan Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 8094; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138094 - 1 Jul 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1822

Abstract

Since January 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of deaths and has posed a major public health threat worldwide. Such a massive and complex crisis requires quick and comprehensive policy responses. We developed an empirical dataset of policy mixes that included 4915 [...] Read more.

Since January 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of deaths and has posed a major public health threat worldwide. Such a massive and complex crisis requires quick and comprehensive policy responses. We developed an empirical dataset of policy mixes that included 4915 policies across 36 Chinese cities and investigated the relationships between the policy design choices and the COVID-19 pandemic response outcomes of a city. Using topic modeling and ordinary least squares regression analysis, we found considerable variation among cities in the compositions and design features of their policy mixes. Our analysis revealed that restriction measures did not significantly influence limiting the spread of the pandemic, but they were negatively correlated with the economic growth rate. By contrast, health protection measures greatly contributed to controlling viral spread. Intensive socioeconomic support reduced the occurrence of secondary disasters. The most effective policy strategy to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be a comprehensive policy design with a mix of restrictions, health protection measures, and socioeconomic support policies accompanied by a timely lockdown. Our empirical findings can help to improve pandemic policy design and contribute to generating broader lessons for how local governments should deal with similar crises in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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19 pages, 349 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Policy Effect and Mechanism of Carbon Emission Trading on the Total Factor Productivity of Agricultural Enterprises

by Junguo Hua, Di Zhu and Yunfei Jia

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7581; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137581 - 21 Jun 2022

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2702

Abstract

Given the rural revitalization strategy in the new era, agricultural development is faced with the dual constraints of resources and the environment. Promoting the green development of agriculture is one of the important missions to solve major social issues in the new era. [...] Read more.

Given the rural revitalization strategy in the new era, agricultural development is faced with the dual constraints of resources and the environment. Promoting the green development of agriculture is one of the important missions to solve major social issues in the new era. The implementation goal of the carbon emission trading system is to achieve a win-win situation between carbon emission reduction and green development. To evaluate the effectiveness of the carbon emission trading system on agricultural enterprises, this paper uses a double-difference model to analyze the policy effect and mechanism research path of the impact of the carbon emission trading system on the total factor productivity of agricultural enterprises. The results based on the panel data of listed agricultural companies from 2010 to 2020 show that (1) carbon emission trading rights have significantly improved the total factor productivity of agricultural enterprises; (2) green innovation in carbon emission trading rights have an impact on the total factor productivity of agricultural enterprises; and (3) heterogeneity analysis shows that the effect of carbon emission trading rights on the total factor productivity of agricultural enterprises mainly exists in large-scale, nonstate-owned, high-debt enterprises, enterprises in the eastern region, and enterprises with government subsidies. Therefore, in the future, China should continue to implement the current carbon emission trading rights system in air pollution control, and at the same time, it needs to be supplemented by government intervention and other means for long-term governance. In conclusion, the study provides a reference value for promoting the realization of the long-term goal of “low carbon” and “high quality” green development of agricultural economy and for making reasonable and effective behavioral decisions for the survival and development of enterprises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

14 pages, 328 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Can Digital Financial Inclusion Promote Green Innovation in Heavily Polluting Companies?

by Long Xue and Xuemang Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7323; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127323 - 15 Jun 2022

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 3383

Abstract

This paper takes the China A-shares listed companies in heavy polluting industries from 2011 to 2020 as samples, combines the digital financial inclusion index to empirically examine the impacts of digital financial inclusion development on the green technology innovation of heavily polluting companies, [...] Read more.

This paper takes the China A-shares listed companies in heavy polluting industries from 2011 to 2020 as samples, combines the digital financial inclusion index to empirically examine the impacts of digital financial inclusion development on the green technology innovation of heavily polluting companies, and reveals its mechanism of action and its heterogeneity of the impacts of enterprises’ green technology innovation in different development stages. The empirical research results show that the development of digital financial inclusion is able to promote the green innovation of heavy-polluting enterprises. Its main manifestation is that the development of digital financial inclusion helps the increase of green patent applications of heavy-polluting enterprises. This conclusion is validated through the endogeneity and robustness tests. The test results of the mechanism of action show that digital financial inclusion promotes green innovation of enterprises by alleviating corporate financing constraints and financial mismatch problems. Further research results show that the role of digital financial inclusion in promoting green technology innovation in heavy-polluting enterprises is more pronounced in mature enterprises. Therefore, this study provides a theoretical basis for the development of digital financial inclusion to promote heavy-polluting enterprises to achieve green transition through green technology innovation, thus achieving the “dual carbon” goal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

18 pages, 1060 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How to Evaluate Investment Efficiency of Environmental Pollution Control: Evidence from China

by Xiaochun Zhao, Laichun Long, Qun Sun and Wei Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7252; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127252 - 13 Jun 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2422

Abstract

Clarifying the efficiency of investment in environmental pollution control is conducive to better control of environmental pollution. Based on panel data of 30 provinces and cities in China from 2008 to 2017, this study combines the three-stage super-efficient SBM-DEA model and the Global-Malmquist-Luenberger [...] Read more.

Clarifying the efficiency of investment in environmental pollution control is conducive to better control of environmental pollution. Based on panel data of 30 provinces and cities in China from 2008 to 2017, this study combines the three-stage super-efficient SBM-DEA model and the Global-Malmquist-Luenberger index to measure the efficiency of investment in environmental pollution control in China and analyze regional differences. The results show that: First, the investment efficiency of environmental pollution control in China shows a rising trend year by year, but there are significant differences among provinces and regions; the presence of random factors and environmental variables makes the control efficiency underestimated. Second, excluding the effects of both, the national investment efficiency of environmental pollution control has improved significantly, but still has not reached the optimal effect; the gap between provinces and regions has narrowed while the investment efficiency of environmental pollution control has improved, and there is still an unbalanced situation. Third, the main driver of the year-on-year improvement in China’s environmental pollution control efficiency is technological progress; compared with northeastern China, technological progress has a more significant role in promoting eastern, central, and western China. Finally, based on the results, this paper focuses on making suggestions to promote environmental pollution control in China in terms of making regional cooperation, making good environmental protection investment and strengthening environmental protection technology research and development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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23 pages, 2460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Housing Tenure Opportunities in the Social Integration of the Aging Pre-1970 Migrants in Beijing

by Ye Zhu, Weiyu Cao, Xin Li and Ran Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7093; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127093 - 9 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2142

Abstract

This study focuses on the social integration of the pre-1970 first-generation migrants in reformist China, who were born before the year 1970 while getting old in the destination cities. The pre-1970 first-generation migrants are not a homogeneous group but are composed of: (a) [...] Read more.

This study focuses on the social integration of the pre-1970 first-generation migrants in reformist China, who were born before the year 1970 while getting old in the destination cities. The pre-1970 first-generation migrants are not a homogeneous group but are composed of: (a) those over 45 years old and still working but facing age discrimination; and (b) the elderly granny as nanny assuming the domestic and child-care work for their sons or daughters in the destination cities. We conceptualized and re-defined the aging migrants’ social integration into three dimensions (i.e., participation practices, communication contacts, and subjective perceptions), and used the 2017 Migrant Dynamics Monitoring Survey (MDMS) data from Beijing to measure and explain the varied integration levels among a total of 1267 aging migrant samples in the Beijing metropolis. It is proven that housing tenure matters and housing tenure entitlement would be conductive to beefing up aging migrants’ integration. However, informal housing should not be “stigmatized” as a segregated world, since those dwelling in the informal housing have reported a higher probability of perceiving a fully integrated status (namely subjective well-being, SWB) than those living in the dormitory-like housing. Additionally, an employment-income paradox is found, which shows that higher economic achievement is NOT equivalent to a higher social integration status for the aging migrants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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15 pages, 728 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Coordinated Development of Ecological Environment and Technological Innovation on Green Economy: Evidence from China

by Lining Su

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 6994; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19126994 - 7 Jun 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2660

Abstract

Promoting the coordinated development of ecological environment and technological innovation is significant to the development of a green economy. In this study, we construct an index system of ecological environment, technological innovation, and green economy based on the panel data of 30 provinces [...] Read more.

Promoting the coordinated development of ecological environment and technological innovation is significant to the development of a green economy. In this study, we construct an index system of ecological environment, technological innovation, and green economy based on the panel data of 30 provinces and cities in China from 2005 to 2016, using the entropy weight method, the coupling coordination model, and the panel vector autoregressive model (PVAR) to calculate the comprehensive development levels of ecological environment, technological innovation, and green economy and the coordination degree between ecological environment and technological innovation, and then further explore the impact of the coordinated development level of ecological environment and technological innovation on the development of a green economy. The research results include: First, from 2005 to 2016, the comprehensive development levels of ecological environment, technological innovation, and green economy in China’s 30 provinces and cities achieved different degrees of improvement as a whole. Among them, the comprehensive development level of green economy was the highest, followed by the development level of technological innovation, and the comprehensive development level of ecological environment was the lowest. Second, from 2005 to 2016, the coordination degree between ecological environment and technological innovation in China’s provinces and cities increased year by year, but on the whole, the coordination degree between ecological environment and technological innovation in various regions was in a state of imbalance. Third, there was a long-term equilibrium relationship among the coordinated development levels of ecological environment, technological innovation, and green economy. Fourth, through pulse analysis and Monte Carlo simulation, we found that the coordinated development level of ecological environment and technological innovation had a lagging positive impact on green economy. Finally, we provide a summary of the results of this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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15 pages, 337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Sharing of Costs and Benefits of Rural Environmental Pollution Governance in China: A Qualitative Analysis through Guanxi Networks Perspective

by Yanqiang Du, Pingyang Liu, Shipeng Su and Linyi Zhou

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6587; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116587 - 28 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1937

Abstract

Concern has been expressed in many parts of the world that community relations in rural areas are breaking down, making issues such as rural environmental degradation harder to resolve without external regulation. Guanxi is a specific Chinese idiom for characterizing social networks, as [...] Read more.

Concern has been expressed in many parts of the world that community relations in rural areas are breaking down, making issues such as rural environmental degradation harder to resolve without external regulation. Guanxi is a specific Chinese idiom for characterizing social networks, as a broad term to represent existing relations among people, which can be loosely translated as ‘‘relationship’’. Based on a case study of an underdeveloped mountainous area of Southern China, this paper examined the problem from the perspective of guanxi, and explored the impacts of internal group differentiation catalyzed by pig farming pollution and the subsequent influences on the distribution of costs and benefits of different shareholders. It was found that the guanxi in the village were changed from blood relationship centered to economic interest centered. This disparity exerts a significant influence on the distribution of costs and benefits of pollution control and exacerbates environmental inequalities. This means that pig farmers dominated the narrative of pig farming pollution, while the ordinary villagers chose to suffer without protesting, which hinders the advancement of pollution control, and pig farmers took the benefits of weak pollution control and managed to transfer the external cost to others, while others became direct victims. The paper concludes that the rich become richer and the poor become poorer in both economic and environmental perspectives. It is strongly suggested that guanxi should be integrated into the consideration and decision-making process of rural environmental governance in order to guarantee the efficiency and efficacy of its implementation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

25 pages, 2209 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Spatiotemporal Evolutionary Trend and Driving Factors of the Coupling Coordinated Development between Regional Green Finance and Ecological Environment

by Tao Shi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6211; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106211 - 20 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2106

Abstract

Based on the 30 inland provincial samples of China from 2003 to 2019, this article analyzes the evolutionary characteristics of the coupling coordination between green finance and the ecological environment (CCFE) using ArcGIS 10.5 software and employs the spatial Durbin model to analyze [...] Read more.

Based on the 30 inland provincial samples of China from 2003 to 2019, this article analyzes the evolutionary characteristics of the coupling coordination between green finance and the ecological environment (CCFE) using ArcGIS 10.5 software and employs the spatial Durbin model to analyze the driving factors of the CCFE. The results can be concluded as follows: (1) the CCFE of China is at a moderately low level, with a fluctuating upward trend. Spatially, it presents a spatial distribution pattern—higher in the east and lower in other regions. In terms of types, the regions of the CCFE are more in primary coordination and basic un-coordination and less in moderate un-coordination and moderate coordination. There are more regions of the green finance lagged type, and relatively few regions have achieved the financial ecological synchronization type. (2) The CCFE hotspots are concentrated in the Pearl River Delta, with a spatial “increase–decrease” development trend. Additionally, the CCFE cold spots are concentrated in the upper Yellow River Basin, with a relatively stable spatial scope. (3) The CCFE shows a positive spillover effect and accumulative delivery effect in the economic geospatial space. The population urbanization rate and the number of granted patent applications have a significant positive impact on the CCFE, and the percentage of secondary industries to GDP has a negative impact accordingly. Spatially, the percentage of secondary industries to GDP and the number of granted patent applications of nearby provinces in the economic geospatial space have a negative impact on the local CCFE. (4) The impact and spatial effect of different factors on the CCFE are obviously different. Finally, policy implications on the coordinated development of green finance and the ecological environment are also made. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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16 pages, 863 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Stability Risk Assessment of Disaster-Preventive Migration in Ethnic Minority Areas of Southwest China

by Linyi Zhou, Demi Zhu and Wei Shen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6192; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106192 - 19 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1837

Abstract

Disaster-preventive migration (DPM) is an important method for disaster risk management, but migration itself entails a potential social stability risk. This study took County D in Yunnan Province, one of the counties most severely threatened by geological disasters in China, as an example [...] Read more.

Disaster-preventive migration (DPM) is an important method for disaster risk management, but migration itself entails a potential social stability risk. This study took County D in Yunnan Province, one of the counties most severely threatened by geological disasters in China, as an example to construct an indicator system of social stability risk factors for disaster-preventive migration based on a literature survey and in-depth interviews. The system consists of 5 first-level risk factors and 14 s-level risk factors. The social stability risk of DPM in County D was assessed using a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method based on experts’ weights. The results showed that the overall social stability risk level of disaster-preventive migration in County D is ‘high’. In terms of importance, the five first-level risk factors were ranked as follows: public opinion risk > compensation risk > livelihood recovery risk > cultural risk > geological disaster risk. Among the risk factors, the level of public opinion risk and compensation risk appeared to be high, whereas that of livelihood recovery risk, cultural risk and geological disaster risk resulted to be medium. To our knowledge, this paper is the first research to evaluate the social stability risk of DPM; it not only enriches the theories of social stability risk assessment, but also has important guiding significance for people relocation and resettlement in Chinese ethnic minority areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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15 pages, 342 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determinants and Willingness to Pay for Purchasing Mask against COVID-19: A Protection Motivation Theory Perspective

by Qiying Ding, Shoufu Lin and Shanyong Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 4268; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074268 - 2 Apr 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2198

Abstract

Currently, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading globally, which poses great challenges to the whole world and human beings. The aim of this research is to understand the determinants and residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) for purchasing masks against COVID-19 in China. On [...] Read more.

Currently, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading globally, which poses great challenges to the whole world and human beings. The aim of this research is to understand the determinants and residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) for purchasing masks against COVID-19 in China. On the basis of protection motivation theory and contingent value method, this research shows that most residents are willing to purchase masks against COVID-19. COVID-19 knowledge, perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, and response efficacy are positively and significantly associated with residents’ WTP and the WTP value. However, self-efficacy is only significantly associated with residents’ WTP while not with WTP value. Furthermore, compared with other residents, residents in Hubei province have a higher level of COVID-19 knowledge, perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, self-efficacy and response efficacy, and the WTP value is higher. The average value of residents’ WTP value for purchasing masks against COVID-19 in Hubei province is ¥120.92 ($18.73) per month during the epidemic, while it is ¥100.16 ($15.50) for other residents. In addition, the effects of demographic factors such as age, gender, income, etc., on residents’ WTP and WTP value have also been examined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

22 pages, 2209 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Driving Mechanism of “Production-Living-Ecology” Functions in China: A Case of Both Sides of Hu Line

by Yu Chen and Mengke Zhu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3488; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063488 - 15 Mar 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2450

Abstract

In order to explore the spatiotemporal evolution of land use function and its driving factors in China, taking both sides of the Hu Line as an example, we used Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis and Geographically Weighted Regression methods to reveal dynamic evolution law, [...] Read more.

In order to explore the spatiotemporal evolution of land use function and its driving factors in China, taking both sides of the Hu Line as an example, we used Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis and Geographically Weighted Regression methods to reveal dynamic evolution law, spatial characteristics and influencing factors of the “Production-Living-Ecology” functions of 288 prefecture-level cities on both sides of the Hu Line. The results show that: (1) In the temporal dimension, the coordination of “Production-Living-Ecology” functions of land use in China has been improved, and the Hu Line can be roughly used as the boundary of China’s territorial space use. (2) In the spatial dimension, there is a significant positive spatial correlation between “Production-Living-Ecology” functions of land use in China, and the coordination gap between “Production-Living-Ecology” functions of land use on both sides of the Hu Line is gradually narrowing. (3) In terms of influencing mechanism, the coordination of “Production-Living-Ecology” functions is mainly driven by internal factors and is supplemented by external ones. The influence pattern of most driving factors is consistent with the layout characteristics of “strong east and weak west” of the Hu Line. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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18 pages, 10630 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluations of Spatial Accessibility and Equity of Multi-Tiered Medical System: A Case Study of Shenzhen, China

by Meng Tian, Lei Yuan, Renzhong Guo, Yongsheng Wu and Xiaojian Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 3017; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19053017 - 4 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2662

Abstract

The Chinese government has implemented a medical system reform to improve the equity of healthcare resources since 2009. We selected Shenzhen as our study area and evaluated the accessibility and equity of the multi-tiered medical system in China using a novel multi-tiered two-step [...] Read more.

The Chinese government has implemented a medical system reform to improve the equity of healthcare resources since 2009. We selected Shenzhen as our study area and evaluated the accessibility and equity of the multi-tiered medical system in China using a novel multi-tiered two-step floating catchment area (MT2SFCA) method. We proposed the benchmark and applied the independent variables of travel time and facility attractiveness, along with a combination of the two factors, as tolerances to determine the new logistic cumulative distribution decay functions. Community health centers (CHCs) and hospitals were included while integrating their features. Results revealed that the MT2SFCA method was able to determine the particular advantages of CHCs and hospitals in the multi-tiered medical system. The CHCs offset the lower accessibility of hospitals in suburban areas and hospitals balanced the regional inequity caused by the CHC. Travel time is the main consideration of patients who have access to CHCs, whereas facility features are the main considerations of patients who have access to hospitals. Notably, both CHCs and hospitals are crucial for the whole multi-tiered medical system. Finally, we suggested modifications in different travel modes, weights of contributing factors, and the validation of decay functions to improve the MT2SFCA method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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14 pages, 3134 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Public Rental Housing and Obesogenic Behaviors among Adults in Hong Kong: Mediator Role of Food and Physical Activity Environment

by Ting Zhang, Bo Huang, Hung Wong, Samuel Yeung-shan Wong and Roger Yat-Nork Chung

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 2960; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052960 - 3 Mar 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2682

Abstract

Public rental housing (PRH) for low-income families has been shown in several studies to be associated with poor health status and obesity. However, the causes of this health disparity are controversial, and the associations and pathways between PRH and obesogenic behaviors remain unknown. [...] Read more.

Public rental housing (PRH) for low-income families has been shown in several studies to be associated with poor health status and obesity. However, the causes of this health disparity are controversial, and the associations and pathways between PRH and obesogenic behaviors remain unknown. Using cross-sectional survey data of 1977 adults living in Hong Kong (aged or over 18) together with multi-source GIS-based environmental data, we examined the associations between PRH and obesogenic behaviors and the extent to which those associations can be explained by neighborhood food and physical environment. The unhealthy food environment, which relates with infrequent fruit and vegetables consumption, was calculated based on the relative density of fast food restaurants and convenience stores to grocery stores. The physical activity environment, which relates to physical inactivity and prolonged sitting, was assessed in terms of density of sports facilities and street greenery, separately. Regressions and mediation analyses show that PRH was negatively associated with physical inactivity directly and also indirectly via higher sports facilities density; however, PRH was positively associated with unhealthy diet largely directly and positively associated with prolonged sitting indirectly via less street greenery. We advanced the international literature of PRH health impact assessment and its environmental health pathways by providing evidence from the least housing-affordable city in the world. The findings provide planning implications in formulating a healthier PRH community for these low-income PRH households and mitigating health disparities induced by housing type. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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15 pages, 2556 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decoupling between Economic Development and Carbon Emissions and Its Driving Factors: Evidence from China

by Xiaochun Zhao, Mei Jiang and Wei Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 2893; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052893 - 2 Mar 2022

Cited by 49 | Viewed by 3599

Abstract

Analyzing the relationship between economic development and carbon emissions is conducive to better energy saving and emission reduction. This study is based on the panel data of China’s carbon emissions, from 2009 to 2019, and quantitative analysis of the relationship between carbon emissions [...] Read more.

Analyzing the relationship between economic development and carbon emissions is conducive to better energy saving and emission reduction. This study is based on the panel data of China’s carbon emissions, from 2009 to 2019, and quantitative analysis of the relationship between carbon emissions and economic development through the Tapio decoupling model and the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition model. The results show that: First, carbon emission and economic development are increasing year by year, and the development trend of economic growth rate and carbon emission growth rate presents the characteristics of consistency and stage. Second, China’s carbon emissions and economic development are basically in a weak decoupling state, and carbon emissions and economic development are positively correlated. Third, there are significant differences in decoupling indices among the four regions, mainly in that the central region is better than the eastern region, the eastern region is better than the northeast region, the northeast region is better than the western region, and the development of provinces in the region is unbalanced. Fourth, from the perspective of driving factors, the elasticity of population size and economic intensity can restrain the decoupling of carbon emissions, while the elasticity of energy intensity and carbon intensity have a positive effect. Finally, according to the results of empirical analysis, this paper focuses on promoting China’s emission reduction and energy sustainable development from the aspects of developing low-carbon and zero carbon technology, supporting new energy industries and promoting the construction of a carbon emission trading market. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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20 pages, 6176 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Transformation Characteristics and Conflict Measurement of Production-Living-Ecology: Evidence from Urban Agglomeration of China

by Yu Chen, Xuyang Su and Xuekai Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1458; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031458 - 27 Jan 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2868

Abstract

The land development by human beings has changed from the initial small-scale and low-level transformation to the comprehensive utilization of large-scale and high-intensity implementations. The contradiction between production-living-ecology space (PLES) has become increasingly prominent while drawing land dividends. As one of the important [...] Read more.

The land development by human beings has changed from the initial small-scale and low-level transformation to the comprehensive utilization of large-scale and high-intensity implementations. The contradiction between production-living-ecology space (PLES) has become increasingly prominent while drawing land dividends. As one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization and the ecological barrier in the northern region, the rapid urbanization and industrialization of the Yellow River Basin (YRB) make the ecological environment very fragile, and the imbalance of land and space development is extremely serious. Therefore, according to the multifunctional characteristics of land use, this paper establishes a classification system of production space (PS), living space (LS) and ecology space (ES), and discusses the spatiotemporal evolution and conflict distribution characteristics of the PLES with the help of the transfer matrix and spatial conflict index (SCI). The results are as follows. In 1990–2020, agricultural production space (APS), grassland ecology space (GES) and other ecology space (OES) yielded the largest proportion of PLES in the YRB. However, compared with 1990, the area of these spatial types decreased in 2020, while the urban living space (ULS) expanded rapidly. The distribution pattern of PLES was generally consistent, and the transformation between PLES in Ningxia, central Inner Mongolia, Loess Plateau and downstream areas was relatively intense. The conflict index of PLES showed an upward trend, but it was generally in a controllable range. The stable and controllable areas were concentrated in the upstream of the urban agglomeration, and the midstream and downstream were basic out of control and seriously out of control, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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21 pages, 2500 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Air Pollution, Health Shocks and Labor Mobility

by Yi Zhang, Tao Shi, Ai-Jun Wang and Qi Huang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1382; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031382 - 26 Jan 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3910

Abstract

The health shocks caused by air pollution seriously interfere with people’s economic life. Based on the air pollution index and health shock index calculated by the principal component entropy weight method, this article analyzes the impact of air pollution on labor mobility, and [...] Read more.

The health shocks caused by air pollution seriously interfere with people’s economic life. Based on the air pollution index and health shock index calculated by the principal component entropy weight method, this article analyzes the impact of air pollution on labor mobility, and adopts the mediation effect model to test the mediation effect of health shocks, using the threshold model to analyze the time and the health shocks threshold effect of air pollution on labor mobility. Its conclusions are as follows: (1) Air pollution has a negative impact on the net inflow of labor mobility, and the net inflow of labor mobility decreases between 24.9% and 44.7% on average for each unit increase in the health shocks of air pollution. (2) The impact of air pollution on labor mobility is all caused by health shocks; the health shocks are also an important factor influencing the decrease in the labor mobility supply across provinces, and the different health levels of the migrating individuals due to air pollution. (3) The health shocks of air pollution have a single-time threshold effect on labor mobility, and the health shocks of air pollution in China have intensified after 2010, confirming that China’s Lewis turning point was 2010. (4) The attraction effect of stable and higher regional real income will partially offset the repulsion effect of health shocks of air pollution on labor mobility, when the health-shocks index of air pollution exceeds the threshold value of 1.9873. Finally, the policy implications of the health shocks of air pollution on labor mobility are also formulated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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21 pages, 2052 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green TFP Heterogeneity in the Ports of China’s Pilot Free Trade Zone under Environmental Constraints

by Zongbiao Hu, Feng Lan and Han Xu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 12910; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182412910 - 7 Dec 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2792

Abstract

In the context of China’s Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), ports have a new opportunity to realize high-quality development. Based on the analysis of the current situation of pollutant emissions from ports in China’s Pilot Free Trade Zones (FTZs), this paper introduces environmental [...] Read more.

In the context of China’s Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), ports have a new opportunity to realize high-quality development. Based on the analysis of the current situation of pollutant emissions from ports in China’s Pilot Free Trade Zones (FTZs), this paper introduces environmental factors into the analysis framework of the total factor productivity (TFP) of ports in China’s FTZs, and uses the Global Malmquist–Luenberger index method to analyze the evolution trend and heterogeneity of green TFP in 28 ports of China’s 19 FTZs from 2011 to 2017. The results show that firstly, the emissions of sulfur dioxide (

{SO}_{2}

), nitrogen oxides (

{NO}_{X}

) and other pollutants in China’s FTZs have been decreasing year by year. Secondly, both the green TFP and the traditional TFP of the ports in FTZs are on the rise. The absence of environmental factors leads to the underestimation of the TFP of ports. For the green TFP, the main source of its growth is technological progress. Thirdly, there is obvious port heterogeneity in the green TFP of FTZ ports. Nanjing Port has the highest green TFP growth rate, with an average annual growth rate of 21.95%. Ningbo Port, which ranks 14th, has an average annual growth rate of 5.46%. Fuzhou Port, which is rated last, has negative growth. Fourthly, there is also obvious types and regional heterogeneity in the green TFP of FTZ ports. When categorized by type, the average annual growth rate of green TFP in inland ports is significantly higher than that of coastal ports. When categorized by region, the descending order of the average annual growth rate of green TFP is the western region, the eastern region and the central region. Fifthly, the green TFP differences among the eastern, central, and western regions, as well as between inland ports and coastal ports, are shrinking. Moreover, the green TFP differences within inland ports and coastal ports and within central ports and eastern ports are also shrinking, implying there may be σ convergence. The conclusions of this paper have important implications for the scientific understanding of the heterogeneity of green TFP growth in ports in China’s FTZs, and how to promote the green development of ports in China’s FTZs under environmental constraints. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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16 pages, 363 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Direct and Indirect Effects of Business Environment on BRI Countries’ Global Value Chain Upgrading

by Shengbing He, Huilin Yao and Zhou Ji

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(23), 12492; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312492 - 27 Nov 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2569

Abstract

This study incorporates business environment, foreign direct investment (FDI), and the global value chain upgrading into a unified analysis framework to unravel the effects of business environment and FDI on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries’ status elevation on the global value [...] Read more.

This study incorporates business environment, foreign direct investment (FDI), and the global value chain upgrading into a unified analysis framework to unravel the effects of business environment and FDI on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries’ status elevation on the global value chain. The panel data of 112 BRI countries from 2007 to 2017 are employed for empirical tests on the trilateral relationship through the panel data regression model. The results show: (1) business environment improvement and FDI inflow significantly promote BRI countries’ status elevation on the global value chain. Business environment not only elevates BRI countries’ status on the global value chain directly, but indirectly lifts their status through the intermediate effects of FDI; (2) business environment and FDI significantly promote the status elevation on the global value chain for industries that are intensive on varied factors, especially for labor-intensive industry; (3) the test results of the panel threshold model further verify the positive effect of the business environment and FDI inflows on BRI countries’ status elevation on the global value chain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

15 pages, 4048 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Land Use Evolution and Land Ecological Security Evaluation Based on AHP-FCE Model: Evidence from China

by Yong Zhu, Shihu Zhong, Ying Wang and Muhua Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(22), 12076; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182212076 - 17 Nov 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2255

Abstract

China experienced rapid urbanization and socioeconomic development at an unusual rate during the past four decades. Against such background, land use evolution and land ecological security have both been affected in a volatile way. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the land use [...] Read more.

China experienced rapid urbanization and socioeconomic development at an unusual rate during the past four decades. Against such background, land use evolution and land ecological security have both been affected in a volatile way. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the land use and the land ecological security in China. However, the traditional assessment approaches have paid more attention to the environmental and economic factors than the sustainable development of ecology, which cannot comprehensively assess the land ecological security. From the perspective of ecological sustainable development, this study identifies 3 main factors and 17 sub-factors. We also construct a model to integrate the FCE approach with the AHP. The results show that from 2004 to 2017, China’s land use structure was unbalanced. The construction land, mining land, and cultivated land increased rapidly, leading to the shrinkage of ecological land. Moreover, the weight of the sustainable development of resources and the environment, economic sustainable development, social sustainable development are 0.3341, 0.3780, and 0.2879, respectively, demonstrating that economic sustainable development is the most important factor affecting land ecological security. Finally, although the value of comprehensive land ecological security in China has been on the rise from 2004 to 2017, it remains at an unsecured level. Moreover, the value of the sustainable development of resources and the environment has been declining since 2011 and is lower than the values of economic sustainable development and social sustainable development. This study demonstrates that more attention should be paid to enhancing land ecological security, especially promoting the sustainable development of resources and the environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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20 pages, 1090 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Have China’s Pilot Free Trade Zones Improved Green Total Factor Productivity?

by Qingshan Ma, Yuanmeng Zhang, Kexin Yang and Lingyun He

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11681; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111681 - 7 Nov 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4070

Abstract

Free trade zones (FTZ) are designated areas for promoting trade openness and investment facilitation. In China, FTZs are also regarded as “green areas” in which planning actions and institutional innovations are implemented, and there is a commitment to promoting urban green and healthy [...] Read more.

Free trade zones (FTZ) are designated areas for promoting trade openness and investment facilitation. In China, FTZs are also regarded as “green areas” in which planning actions and institutional innovations are implemented, and there is a commitment to promoting urban green and healthy development. Given that green total factor productivity (GTFP) is an important measure of a city’s health and green performance, this study exploits the difference-in-differences method to explore the impact of pilot FTZs on urban GTFP in 280 cities in China for the period between 2005 and 2017. The results show that the green areas positively contributed to the growth of GTFP. Moreover, the outcome holds with robustness tests. Statistically, the positive effect emerged in cities during the first three years after introducing the initiative, with the effect disappearing afterward. It also had a strong positive impact in the central and western regions and in large and medium-sized cities, while the influence remained insignificant in the remaining areas in China. Furthermore, the paper also reveals that the promotion of foreign direct investment and industrial structure upgrading are the primary channels through which the positive relationship between pilot FTZs and GTFP is established. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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11 pages, 647 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Do Chinese National Scenic Areas Affect Tourism Economic Development? The Moderating Effect of Time-Limited Rectification

by Yongcuomu Qu, Ziqiong Zhang, Yanchao Feng and Xiaorong Cui

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11620; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111620 - 5 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2188

Abstract

Based on panel data on 124 prefecture-level and above cities from 2003 to 2018, this study investigated the impact of CNSAs on tourism economic development and the moderating effect of time-limited rectification by comprehensively using the quasi-DID model, the static spatial Durbin model, [...] Read more.

Based on panel data on 124 prefecture-level and above cities from 2003 to 2018, this study investigated the impact of CNSAs on tourism economic development and the moderating effect of time-limited rectification by comprehensively using the quasi-DID model, the static spatial Durbin model, and the dynamic spatial Durbin model. The results showed that the impact of CNSAs on tourism economic development has a heterogeneous characteristic in terms of tourists and revenue. In addition, the spatial spillover effect and the path dependence have effectively promoted tourism economic development. Furthermore, the effectiveness of time-limited rectification has been proved in this study, while the “beggar-thy-neighbor” effect has, to some extent, weakened the promotional effect of CNSAs on tourism economic development, especially in terms of international tourists and international tourism revenue. Finally, relevant policy implications for the superior department in charge, local governments, and the management department of CNSAs are outlined to provide a practical reference for promoting the high-quality development of the tourism economy in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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14 pages, 831 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neighborhood-Based Social Capital and Depressive Symptoms among Adults: Evidence from Guangzhou, China

by Sanqin Mao and Jie Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11263; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111263 - 27 Oct 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2101

Abstract

This study examined the association between neighborhood-based social capital (NSC) and depressive symptoms in the context of urban neighborhoods in China, with special attention given to the association heterogeneity across socioeconomic groups. Drawing on cross-sectional data collected from 39 neighborhoods in Guangzhou, this [...] Read more.

This study examined the association between neighborhood-based social capital (NSC) and depressive symptoms in the context of urban neighborhoods in China, with special attention given to the association heterogeneity across socioeconomic groups. Drawing on cross-sectional data collected from 39 neighborhoods in Guangzhou, this research demonstrated that adults’ depressive symptoms were higher among those with lower cognitive (trustworthiness, reciprocity, and cohesion within a neighborhood) and structural (social network and participation) dimensions of NSC. Further analysis showed that the negative association between NSC and depressive symptoms was significantly heterogeneous across socioeconomic groups. Specifically, this negative relationship was more prominent in the lower socioeconomic classes than in the upper socioeconomic classes, indicating that the lower accumulation of NSC among disadvantaged groups may aggravate depression unequally across social classes. In addition, the negative association between social participation and depressive symptoms was stronger for people who are older or unemployed. The findings of this study not only provide new evidence concerning the significance of the beneficial effects of NSC in the Chinese context, but also, more importantly, highlight that NSC plays a crucial role in creating mental health inequality across social classes. Thus, the relevant social interventions including fostering neighborhood relationships and social activities should be carefully tailored against the backdrop of community building during the urbanization process. The implications of our study for urban governance to promote healthy cities are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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20 pages, 2557 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Study on the Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of Urban Resilience in the Yellow River Basin

by Yu Chen, Xuyang Su and Qian Zhou

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10231; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910231 - 28 Sep 2021

Cited by 44 | Viewed by 3761

Abstract

The outbreak of COVID-19 has prompted consideration of the importance of urban resilience. Based on a multidimensional perspective, the authors of this paper established a comprehensive evaluation indicator system for evaluating urban resilience in the Yellow River basin (YRB), and various methods such [...] Read more.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has prompted consideration of the importance of urban resilience. Based on a multidimensional perspective, the authors of this paper established a comprehensive evaluation indicator system for evaluating urban resilience in the Yellow River basin (YRB), and various methods such as the entropy value method, Theil index, exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) model, and geographical detector model were used to measure the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of urban resilience in the YRB from 2011 to 2018. The results are as follows. (1) From 2011 to 2018, the urban resilience index (URI) of the YRB showed a “V”-shaped dynamic evolution in the time series, and the URI increased by 13.4% overall. The resilience of each subsystem showed the following hierarchical structure: economic resilience > social resilience > ecological resilience > infrastructure resilience. (2) The URI of the three major regions—upstream, midstream, and downstream—increased, and the resilience of each subsystem in the region showed obvious regional characteristics. The comprehensive difference in URI values within the basin was found to be shrinking, and intraregional differences have contributed most to the comprehensive difference. (3) There were obvious zonal differences in the URI from 2011 to 2018. Shandong Peninsula and Hohhot–Baotou–Ordos showed a “High–High” agglomeration, while the southern and southwestern regions showed a “Low–Low” agglomeration. (4) Among the humanist and social factors, economic, fiscal, market, urbanization, openness, and innovation were found to be the factors that exert a high impact on the URI, while the impacts of natural factors were found to be low. The impact of the interaction of each factor is greater than that of a single factor. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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16 pages, 1709 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Much Are People Willing to Pay for Clean Air? Analyzing Housing Prices in Response to the Smog Free Tower in Xi’an

by Haiyong Zhang, Sanqin Mao and Xinyu Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10210; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910210 - 28 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3275

Abstract

The Smog Free Tower (SFT) in the city of Xi’an, China, is the world’s first outdoor architecture that uses solar energy and filtration technology to purify polluted air. It provides a unique opportunity to explore residents’ willingness to pay for air quality and [...] Read more.

The Smog Free Tower (SFT) in the city of Xi’an, China, is the world’s first outdoor architecture that uses solar energy and filtration technology to purify polluted air. It provides a unique opportunity to explore residents’ willingness to pay for air quality and their related behaviors. Drawing on data collected after the establishment of the SFT, this paper reveals the characteristics of changes in people’s willingness to pay for clean air. We found that, prior to the release of an assessment report on the SFT, housing prices had an inverted U-shaped relationship with the distance to the SFT, which indicated people tended to purchase houses a certain distance away from the SFT. The threshold value of distance was inversely related to the greening ratio of the residential area. However, after the publication of the experimental report on the SFT, housing prices decreased as the distance to the SFT increased, indicating the closer the house was to the SFT, the more likely people were to buy it. These changes confirmed that people are willing to pay for clean air. The convenience of transportation had a significant moderating effect on the willingness to pay for clean air, however. In other words, people may buy houses with lower air quality if they have better transportation accessibility. The findings of this paper may have practical implications for environmental governance, urban planning, residential satisfaction, and real estate market regulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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14 pages, 2201 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Does Urban Sprawl Affect Public Health? Evidence from Panel Survey Data in Urbanizing China

by Yan Yan, Hui Liu and Canfei He

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10181; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910181 - 28 Sep 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4605

Abstract

This study takes urbanizing China as the research object, employs data from three follow-up surveys conducted by the Harmonized China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, and examines the effects of urban sprawl on public health from physical and mental health perspectives. Although urban [...] Read more.

This study takes urbanizing China as the research object, employs data from three follow-up surveys conducted by the Harmonized China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, and examines the effects of urban sprawl on public health from physical and mental health perspectives. Although urban sprawl does not necessarily increase the risk of each specific type of disease or psychological feeling, it has a significant impact on overall physical and mental health. Further analysis reveals significant heterogeneity in the effects of urban sprawl on the physical and mental health of different groups. Specifically, urban sprawl is detrimental to the physical health of males and females, but only has negative impact on the mental health of females. Younger groups are more vulnerable to physical and mental health damage from urban sprawl relative to middle-aged and older groups. In addition, urban sprawl has a significant negative impact on the health of the low-education group but a very limited impact on the health of the high-education counterpart. From an income perspective, however, the preference for suburban housing among middle- and high-income groups makes their health more vulnerable to the negative effects of urban sprawl than low-income groups living in urban centers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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Review

Jump to: Research

19 pages, 6117 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Intellectual Structure of Research on Rural-to-Urban Migrants: A Bibliometric Analysis

by Huichen Gao and Shijuan Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9729; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159729 - 7 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3624

Abstract

As noted in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 2030 agenda, sustainable cities “without leaving anyone behind” should take into consideration migrant groups, which may play only a marginal role but may be at the root of potential social conflicts. This study thereby [...] Read more.

As noted in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 2030 agenda, sustainable cities “without leaving anyone behind” should take into consideration migrant groups, which may play only a marginal role but may be at the root of potential social conflicts. This study thereby promotes cross-disciplinary explorations of knowing and understanding the rural-to-urban internal migrants against the background of rapid urbanization. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis based on 2788 English language articles obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database. As China’s unique Hukou system highlights the divide between rural migrants and urban dwellers, migrant studies have extended to a diverse range of interests. We underlined the most productive sources and authors in this area and identified networks of collaboration among countries and institutions. Furthermore, we found trends in research themes and topics and research clusters through keyword-based analysis techniques. The results provide a rich source of information on the intellectual structure of the chosen domain of rural-to-urban migrants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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23 pages, 5038 KiB

Open AccessReview

Trends, Issues and Future Directions of Urban Health Impact Assessment Research: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis

by Wenbing Luo, Zhongping Deng, Shihu Zhong and Mingjun Deng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 5957; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19105957 - 13 May 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3193

Abstract

Health impact assessment (HIA) has been regarded as an important means and tool for urban planning to promote public health and further promote the integration of health concept. This paper aimed to help scientifically to understand the current situation of urban HIA research, [...] Read more.

Health impact assessment (HIA) has been regarded as an important means and tool for urban planning to promote public health and further promote the integration of health concept. This paper aimed to help scientifically to understand the current situation of urban HIA research, analyze its discipline co-occurrence, publication characteristics, partnership, influence, keyword co-occurrence, co-citation, and structural variation. Based on the ISI Web database, this paper used a bibliometric method to analyze 2215 articles related to urban HIA published from 2012 to 2021. We found that the main research directions in the field were Environmental Sciences and Public Environmental Occupational Health; China contributed most articles, the Tehran University of Medical Sciences was the most influential institution, Science of the Total Environment was the most influential journal, Yousefi M was the most influential author. The main hotspots include health risk assessment, source appointment, contamination, exposure, particulate matter, heavy metals and urban soils in 2012–2021; road dust, source apposition, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, air pollution, urban topsoil and the north China plain were always hot research topics in 2012–2021, drinking water and water quality became research topics of great concern in 2017–2021. There were 25 articles with strong transformation potential during 2020–2021, but most papers carried out research on the health risk assessment of toxic elements in soil and dust. Finally, we also discussed the limitations of this paper and the direction of bibliometric analysis of urban HIA in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Healthy Cities: Policy Impacts and Inclusive Governance)

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