Evolution characteristics, regional differences and influencing factors of urban-rural integrated development at the county scale:Take 64 counties in Wuling Mountain Area as examples

The imbalance between urban and rural development is a prominent contradiction in China's economic and social development. To fundamentally resolve this problem, it is necessary to take the path of urban-rural integrated development. The county is a crucial support for urban-rural integration. Accurately grasping the multidimensional spatiotemporal characteristics of urban-rural integration within the county domain and clarifying the mechanism by which element flow impacts urban-rural integrated development is of great significance for enriching the theoretical system of common prosperity in the New Era. Based on flow space theory, this study analyzed the theoretical mechanism of element flow on urban-rural integrated development and constructed an evaluation index system for integration at the county scale from eight elements: population, land, ecological environment, capital, industry, technology, management, and data. An empirical analysis was conducted on 64 counties in the Wuling Mountain Area, Central China. The research results showed that: (1) During the sample period, the level of urban-rural integrated development in the study area showed a continuous upward trend. (2) The number of low-level urban-rural integrated areas in this region was decreasing, while that of high-level areas was increasing, generally presenting a spatial distribution pattern of "hotspots in the south, and coldspots in the west," with the standard deviation ellipse showing a trend of moving from southeast to northwest. (3) The overall disparity in the level of urban-rural integrated development was decreasing, with intra-regional differences being the main source. (4) Fiscal decentralization and industrial structure had significant inhibitory effects on the integration of urban and rural areas, while fiscal expenditure and financial efficiency had significant promoting effects on the integrated development. The impact of these factors on urban-rural integration varied depending on altitude and whether the area was an ethnic minority autonomous county. To achieve high-quality urban-rural integrated development, it was necessary to focus on the spatial and temporal characteristics of urban-rural integration development, make full use of resource endowments and locational advantages to achieve differentiated development, and pay attention to specific factors affecting urban-rural integration. The research results can provide a scientific basis for the implementation of urban-rural integrated development in mountainous county regions.