IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i24p16976-d1006696.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How Can Resource-Exhausted Cities Get Out of “The Valley of Death”? An Evaluation Index System and Obstacle Degree Analysis of Green Sustainable Development

Author

Listed:
  • Xinyu Zhuang

    (College of Quality & Standardization, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work and should be regarded as co-first authors.)

  • Xin Li

    (School of Tourism and Geography Science, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
    Advanced Institute of Culture & Tourism, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work and should be regarded as co-first authors.)

  • Yisong Xu

    (School of Business, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China)

Abstract

Resource-based cities are suffering from resource scarcity and environmental deterioration. Spirit, vitality and prosperity are disappearing and cities have moved towards “the valley of death” in terms of urban development. This typically appears in environments where it is difficult to maintain sustainable development. Based on empirical analysis, a qualitative analysis method for the selection of evaluation indicators, as well as a quantitative analysis method for index weighting and principal component extraction for constructing a three-level evaluation index system of green development for coal-resource-exhausted cities, was adopted. This study also discussed the life cycle at different development stages of resource-based cities, including mature resource-based and growing resource-based cities. We further argued that the obstacle degree can act as an evaluation basis and make recommendations accordingly to improve the green development of cities. Through star-standard divisions and statistical analysis, it can be explicated that the increase in green development in the first stage is greater than that in the later stage, which is more obvious in cities with lower stars. The results also show the evolution trend and stability coefficient. There is no end in sight for urban green development, and this study can provide a new perspective to relieve the declining trend and promote green sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinyu Zhuang & Xin Li & Yisong Xu, 2022. "How Can Resource-Exhausted Cities Get Out of “The Valley of Death”? An Evaluation Index System and Obstacle Degree Analysis of Green Sustainable Development," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-29, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:24:p:16976-:d:1006696
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/24/16976/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/24/16976/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mário Santos & Helena Moreira & João Alexandre Cabral & Ronaldo Gabriel & Andreia Teixeira & Rita Bastos & Alfredo Aires, 2022. "Contribution of Home Gardens to Sustainable Development: Perspectives from A Supported Opinion Essay," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-26, October.
    2. Namazi, Mehdi & Mohammadi, Emran, 2018. "Natural resource dependence and economic growth: A TOPSIS/DEA analysis of innovation efficiency," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 544-552.
    3. Hong, Qianqian & Cui, Linhao & Hong, Penghui, 2022. "The impact of carbon emissions trading on energy efficiency: Evidence from quasi-experiment in China's carbon emissions trading pilot," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. Jacobson, Mark Z. & von Krauland, Anna-Katharina & Coughlin, Stephen J. & Palmer, Frances C. & Smith, Miles M., 2022. "Zero air pollution and zero carbon from all energy at low cost and without blackouts in variable weather throughout the U.S. with 100% wind-water-solar and storage," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 430-442.
    5. Can Zhang & Jixia Li & Tengfei Liu & Mengzhi Xu & Huachun Wang & Xu Li, 2022. "The Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of the Chinese Cities’ Ecological Welfare Performance," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-27, October.
    6. Zhou, Guangyou & Zhu, Jieyu & Luo, Sumei, 2022. "The impact of fintech innovation on green growth in China: Mediating effect of green finance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    7. Capasso, Marco & Hansen, Teis & Heiberg, Jonas & Klitkou, Antje & Steen, Markus, 2019. "Green growth – A synthesis of scientific findings," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 390-402.
    8. Yang, Yuying & Guo, Haixiang & Chen, Linfei & Liu, Xiao & Gu, Mingyun & Ke, Xiaoling, 2019. "Regional analysis of the green development level differences in Chinese mineral resource-based cities," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 261-272.
    9. Mardones, Cristian & del Rio, Ricardo, 2019. "Correction of Chilean GDP for natural capital depreciation and environmental degradation caused by copper mining," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 143-152.
    10. Taolin Liu & Chao Ren & Shengguo Zhang & Anchao Yin & Weiting Yue, 2022. "Coupling Coordination Analysis of Urban Development and Ecological Environment in Urban Area of Guilin Based on Multi-Source Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-19, October.
    11. Jing, Zhaorui & Wang, Jinman & Tang, Qian & Liu, Biao & Niu, Hebin, 2021. "Evolution of land use in coal-based cities based on the ecological niche theory: A case study in Shuozhou City, China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    12. Meng, Fanxin & Liu, Gengyuan & Liang, Sai & Su, Meirong & Yang, Zhifeng, 2019. "Critical review of the energy-water-carbon nexus in cities," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 1017-1032.
    13. Zameer, Hashim & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Vo, Xuan Vinh, 2020. "Reinforcing poverty alleviation efficiency through technological innovation, globalization, and financial development," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    14. Muhammad Rayan & Dietwald Gruehn & Umer Khayyam, 2022. "Planning for Sustainable Green Urbanism: An Empirical Bottom-Up (Community-Led) Perspective on Green Infrastructure (GI) Indicators in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-29, September.
    15. Inas EL-Gafy & Neil Grigg & Reagan Waskom, 2017. "Water-Food-Energy: Nexus and Non-Nexus Approaches for Optimal Cropping Pattern," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(15), pages 4971-4980, December.
    16. Li, Huijuan & Long, Ruyin & Chen, Hong, 2013. "Economic transition policies in Chinese resource-based cities: An overview of government efforts," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 251-260.
    17. Sivek, Martin & Jirásek, Jakub & Kavina, Pavel & Vojnarová, Markéta & Kurková, Tereza & Bašová, Andrea, 2020. "Divorce after hundreds of years of marriage: Prospects for coal mining in the Czech Republic with regard to the European Union," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    18. Lu, Hongyou & Liu, Min & Song, Wenjing, 2022. "Place-based policies, government intervention, and regional innovation: Evidence from China's Resource-Exhausted City program," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    19. Yuanyuan Zhu & Rui Zhang & Jiaxing Cui, 2022. "Spatial Differentiation and Influencing Factors in the Ecological Well-Being Performance of Urban Agglomerations in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River: A Hierarchical Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-22, October.
    20. Zhai, Xueqi & An, Yunfei, 2021. "The relationship between technological innovation and green transformation efficiency in China: An empirical analysis using spatial panel data," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    21. Ismaila Rimi Abubakar & Khandoker M. Maniruzzaman & Umar Lawal Dano & Faez S. AlShihri & Maher S. AlShammari & Sayed Mohammed S. Ahmed & Wadee Ahmed Ghanem Al-Gehlani & Tareq I. Alrawaf, 2022. "Environmental Sustainability Impacts of Solid Waste Management Practices in the Global South," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-26, October.
    22. Golam Rasul & Bikash Sharma, 2016. "The nexus approach to water–energy–food security: an option for adaptation to climate change," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(6), pages 682-702, August.
    23. Kaddoura, Saeed & El Khatib, Sameh, 2017. "Review of water-energy-food Nexus tools to improve the Nexus modelling approach for integrated policy making," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 114-121.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wu, Guoyong & Gao, Yue & Feng, Yanchao, 2023. "Assessing the environmental effects of the supporting policies for mineral resource-exhausted cities in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    2. Zhipeng Tang & Ziao Mei & Jialing Zou, 2021. "Does the Opening of High-Speed Railway Lines Reduce the Carbon Intensity of China’s Resource-Based Cities?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-18, July.
    3. Yu Zhang & Xi Cai & Yanying Mao & Liudan Jiao & Liu Wu, 2023. "What Is the State of Development of Eco-Wellbeing Performance in China? An Analysis from a Three-Stage Network Perspective," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-18, July.
    4. Zihan Hu & Min Wu & Dan Yang & Tao Luo & Yihao Tian, 2024. "How Resource-Exhausted Cities Get Out of the Innovation Bottom? Evidence from China," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-22, July.
    5. Li, Qiangyi & Zeng, Fu'e & Liu, Shaohui & Yang, Mian & Xu, Fei, 2021. "The effects of China's sustainable development policy for resource-based cities on local industrial transformation," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    6. Yuxin Meng & Lu Liu & Jianlong Wang & Qiying Ran & Xiaodong Yang & Jianliang Shen, 2021. "Assessing the Impact of the National Sustainable Development Planning of Resource-Based Cities Policy on Pollution Emission Intensity: Evidence from 270 Prefecture-Level Cities in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-20, June.
    7. Ge, Tao & Li, Chunying & Li, Jinye & Hao, Xionglei, 2023. "Does neighboring green development benefit or suffer from local economic growth targets? Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    8. Zhang, Tong & Tan, Qian & Yu, Xiaoning & Zhang, Shan, 2020. "Synergy assessment and optimization for water-energy-food nexus: Modeling and application," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    9. Zheng, Heyun & Ge, Liming, 2022. "Carbon emissions reduction effects of sustainable development policy in resource-based cities from the perspective of resource dependence: Theory and Chinese experience," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    10. Chuan Li & Liangrong Song, 2022. "Regional Differences and Spatial Convergence of Green Development in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-16, July.
    11. Shen, Qiong & Pan, Yuxi & Meng, Xiangxu & Ling, Xiao & Hu, Shilei & Feng, Yanchao, 2023. "How does the transition policy of mineral resource-exhausted cities affect the process of industrial upgrading? New empirical evidence from China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).
    12. Li, Guoxiang & Wu, Haoyue & Jiang, Jieshu & Zong, Qingqing, 2023. "Digital finance and the low-carbon energy transition (LCET) from the perspective of capital-biased technical progress," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    13. Yiting Su & Jing Li & Shouqiang Yin & Jiabao Yue & Zhai Jiang & Tianyue Ma & Zhangqian Han, 2023. "Spatial and Temporal Variation Characteristics and Driving Mechanisms of Multidimensional Socio-Economic Development Levels in Resource-Based Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-17, January.
    14. Pang, Dezhi & Jin, Xin & Zheng, Kengcheng & Tien, Nguyen Hoang, 2024. "A road toward green growth: Optimizing the role of mineral resources, fintech innovation and effective governance in G-20 economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    15. Wang, Xue-Chao & Jiang, Peng & Yang, Lan & Fan, Yee Van & Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír & Wang, Yutao, 2021. "Extended water-energy nexus contribution to environmentally-related sustainable development goals," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    16. Ahmad Hamidov & Katharina Helming, 2020. "Sustainability Considerations in Water–Energy–Food Nexus Research in Irrigated Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-20, August.
    17. Mao, Wenxin & Wang, Wenping & Sun, Huifang & Yao, Peiyi & Wang, Xiaolei & Luo, Dang, 2021. "Urban industrial transformation patterns under natural resource dependence: A rule mining technique," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    18. Xu, Fei & Li, Qiangyi & Yang, Mian, 2022. "The impacts of high-speed rail on the transformation of resource-based cities in China: A market segmentation perspective," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    19. Lin, Boqiang & Zhu, Junpeng, 2019. "Fiscal spending and green economic growth: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 264-271.
    20. Mohammed Sakib Uddin & Khaled Mahmud & Bijoy Mitra & Al-Ekram Elahee Hridoy & Syed Masiur Rahman & Md Shafiullah & Md. Shafiul Alam & Md. Ismail Hossain & Mohammad Sujauddin, 2023. "Coupling Nexus and Circular Economy to Decouple Carbon Emissions from Economic Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-21, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:24:p:16976-:d:1006696. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.