Identification and classification of resource-based cities in China

doi:10.1007/s11442-019-1660-8

Abstract

Abstract:

Resource-dependent cities are cities whose economic development depends on the exploitation and processing of natural resources. Their transformation and sustainable development are an important area of research on regional industrial development, regional economy and urban development. Since the Chinese government launched a pilot project to transform resource-dependent cities, starting with Fuxin in Liaoning Province in 2001, accurately identifying and classifying China’s resource-dependent cities has become a focus of geographical research. Based on previous studies, this paper uses the theory and methods of urban function classification to analyze indicators and threshold values for identifying and classifying resource-dependent cities. It has thus identified 262 cities as being resource-dependent. Looking at the development levels, problems, characteristics and developmental direction of such cities, this paper attempts to establish a comprehensive analytical framework using the two evaluation indicators of resource security and sustainable development. It also creates a model to classify the 262 cities identified as resource-dependent cities into four types: growing cities, mature cities, declining cities and regenerating cities. The different connotations and characteristics of the city types were then analyzed. The results of this research support the delineation of scopes and categories of resource-dependent cities set out in the National Sustainable Development Plan for Resource-Dependent Cities published by the State Council, and they serve as a foundation for formulating policies on planning, classification and guidance.

Key words: resource-dependent cities, identification, classification

YU Jianhui, LI Jiaming, ZHANG Wenzhong. Identification and classification of resource-based cities in China[J].Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2019, 29(8): 1300-1314.

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City	Mine and year extraction began	City	Mine and year extraction began
Hegang	Hegang Coal Mine (1917)	Datong	Datong Coal Mine (1907)
Jixi	Jixi Coal Mine (1925)	Tangshan	Kailuan Coal Mine (1881)
Liaoyuan	Xi’an Coal Mine (1912)	Hebi	Hebi Coal Mine (1912)
Anshan	Qidashan Iron Mine (1918)	Jiaozuo	Jiaozuo Coal Mine (1898)
Benxi	Benxihu Iron Mine (1904)	Yima^*	Yima Coal Mine (1919)
Fushun	Fushun Coal Mine (1901)	Zaozhuang	Zaozhuang Coal Mine (1818)
Fuxin	Fuxin Coal Mine (1936)	Huainan	Huainan Coal Mine (1911)
Beipiao^*	Beipiao Coal Mine (1921)	Pingxiang	Pingxiang Coal Mine (1898)
Ruichang	Tongling Copper Mine (Shang Dynasty)	Zigong	salt mining (Ming Dynasty)
Hancheng^*	Hancheng Coal Mine (1931)	Yumen^*	Yumen Oilfield (1939)
Shizuishan	Shizuishan Coal Mine (1949)	Gejiu^*	Gejiu Tin Mine (1886)
Lengshuijiang^*	Xikuangshan Antimony and Coal Mine (1860)	Jingdezhen	Yetao (1,800+ years)
Tongling	Tongguanshan Copper Mine (Shang Dynasty)	Daye	Daye Iron Mine (1890)
Tongren	Wanshan Mercury Mine (Tang Dynasty)	Heshan^*	Heshan Coal Mine (1919)

Place	Resource type	Location of reserves		Place	Resource type	Location of reserves
Place	Resource type	Global significance	National significance	Place	Resource type	Global significance	National significance
Ningwu County	Bauxite		√	Yingcheng City	Gypsum		√
Yuanqu County	Copper		√	Chenzhou City	Tungsten, Bismuth, Molybdenum, Tin, Zinc		√
Baotou City	Rare earth	√		Changning City	Lead, Zinc, Tin, Boron, Wollastonite		√
Xilinhot City	Germanium		√	Hechi City	Indium	√
Anshan City	Iron		√	Pinggui District	Calcium		√
Yangjiazhangzi District	Molybdenum		√	Cenxi City	Granite		√
Xiuyan Manchu Autonomous County	Magnestite, Jade		√	Changjiang County	Iron ore		√
Kuandian County	Boron		√	Ya’an City	Asbestos		√
Haicheng City	Talc	√		Mianzhu City	Phosphorus		√
Fengcheng City	Boron, Andalusite		√	Kaiyang County	Phosphorus		√
Linjiang City	Diatomite, Dolomite		√	Qingzhen City	Bauxite		√
Daxinganling Region	Lumber		√	Lanping County	Lead-zinc ore	√
Xunke County	Pearlite		√	Maguan County	Indium, Tin		√
Longyan Iron	Iron, Copper, Kaolinite		√	Qusong County	Chromium		√
Nanping City	Niobium-tantalum	√		Weinan City	Molybdenum, Lead, Copper, Niobium, Selenium, Iron, Bauxite, Rhenium		√
Ganzhou City	Tungsten	√		Tongguan County	Gold		√
Dexing City	Copper		√	Golmud City	Potassium, Magnesium, Lithium, Boron, Bromine, Iodine, Rubidium		√
Pingdu City	Graphite		√	Fuyun County	Non-ferrous metal		√
Xingtai City	Kyanite		√	Ruoqiang County	Potassium Chloride		√
Luanchuan County	Molybdenum, Tungsten		√	Hami City	Nickel, Copper		√
Zhongxiang City	Phosphorus		√

City category	Pref-level city		County-level city		County		Municipal district
City category	No.	Ratio	No.	Ratio	No.	Ratio	No.	Ratio
Growing	20	15.6%	7	11.3%	4	6.9%	0	0.0%
Mature	66	51.6%	29	46.8%	46	79.3%	0	0.0%
Declining	26	20.3%	22	35.5%	5	8.6%	14	100.0%
Regenerating	16	12.5%	4	6.5%	3	5.2%	0	0.0%
Total	128	100.0%	62	100.0%	58	100.0%	14	100.0%

City category	Main characteristics	Main problems	Transformations
Growing	Large reserves, large-scale exploitation, rapid economic growth	Unregulated resource extraction and unbalanced economic development	Regulating extraction, managing development, expanding resource industry chain
Mature	Large, stable resource exploitation, mature system of resource extraction, transportation and processing	Severe environmental damage and multiple conflicts over distribution of benefits from resource exploitation	Greater environmental governance and increased social undertakings
Declining	Resources reaching depletion and weak internal drivers of development	Deteriorating living conditions for miners and high unemployment, plagued by historical legacies such as slums, social security debt and geological disasters	Stimulating re-employment, transforming slums, supporting social security, recovery and treatment of mining areas
Regenerating	Vast majority of mining activities have ceased and development no longer dependent on resources	Limited innovative development and incomplete development of urban functions	Improving quality of economic development, increased levels of openness and innovation, improved urban functions

Type	Indicator	Growing	Mature	Declining	Regenerating
General	Average GDP (100 million yuan)	1402	1313	844	2590
	Public financial pressure coefficient	2.58	2.58	2.44	1.76
	Average distance to the nearest provincial capital (km)	233	171	184	199
Industrial	Management function specialization coefficient	0.55	0.61	0.38	0.64
	Mining and manufacturing ratio	1.71	0.86	1.23	0.34
	Diversity coefficient	3.00	3.82	4.10	5.83
	Industrial agglomeration	32.76%	38.05%	54.24%	49.44%
Social	Average per capita road area (m²)	9.92	12.17	11.79	12.74
Social	Logistical connectivity	7.05	16.30	10.54	8.40
Environmental	Sulfur dioxide emissions (tons/100 million yuan)	45.4	41.3	51.3	32.6
Environmental	Industrial wastewater discharge (tons/100 million yuan)	2.42	3.69	4.71	2.70