Identification of regional urbanization gap: evidence of China

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to reinvestigate the regional urbanization gap in China and some projects are to be presented for reducing the gap.

Design/methodology/approach

An innovative weighted kernel density approach is applied for identifying the regional urbanization development with population migration and investment and evaluating the projects.

Findings

The regional urbanization gap is 7 and 9 percent with the unconditional estimation, 13 (23) percent and 13 (23) percent with population (investment) weighted estimation between eastern and middle region, eastern and western region, respectively. The project on the interior migration of population by 30 percent and the project on the selective investment enhancement by 30 percent both reduce the regional urbanization gap by about 4 percent between middle and eastern region.

Research limitations/implications

Focus is only on the investigation of urbanization development level with single population migration or investment enhancement; the identifications and projects with joint impact of population and investment are not considered.

Originality/value

The study not only measures the urbanization development with the nonparametric approach but also designs some practicable projects for reducing the regional urbanization gap, which is helpful for the Chinese Government in the policymaking process.

Citation

Xu, B. and Watada, J. (2008), "Identification of regional urbanization gap: evidence of China", Journal of Modelling in Management, Vol. 3 No. 1, pp. 7-25. https://doi.org/10.1108/17465660810860354