THE LEVEL OF COORDINATED DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN AND RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN GUANGDONG PROVINCE, CHINA
Main article
Abstract
Infrastructure construction influences the coordinated development of urban and rural areas in a significant way. Due to the superiority of urban infrastructure, urban development far exceeds rural development. Recognizing the large gap between urban and rural infrastructure is an urgent concern for China and other developing countries. However, the lack of a comprehensive evaluation system for coordinated development focusing on infrastructure construction is a serious challenge. This paper focuses on Maonan District, Maoming City, Guangdong Province, China, and as a case study, aims to determine the current level on coordinated development of urban and rural infrastructure. Furthermore, it provides suggestions on promotion strategies. In order to achieve the objectives, an optional evaluation list of the contribution of urban and rural infrastructure construction in Maonan District is proposed which is based on a review of relevant literature and indicators for evaluating the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development. Based on the optional evaluation list, this study conducted an on-site questionnaire survey at Hongqi Street, as an urban area, and Gaoshan Town as a rural area. A total of 379 samples were collected. SPSS was applied to analyze the data obtained, and indicators for evaluating the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development were established. The result of this study determined that there are evident gaps in infrastructure development between urban and rural areas in Maonan District. In spite of urban functions being extended to rural areas, the social benefits of infrastructure in rural areas are much lower than in urban areas. In addition, the benefit of environmental and ecological in urban infrastructure is below the expected standard, highlighting the urgent need for targeted development. It also identified that the current level of urban infrastructure construction has a deep impact on coordinated development. In conclusion, this study improves the evaluation system focusing on the coordinated development of urban and rural infrastructure construction which provides valuable insights for formulating targeted strategies to strengthen the coordinated development of Maonan District and other similar areas.
