An assessment framework of amenities and its impact on population patterns in China's border cities

With the growing focus on life quality, the role of amenities has emerged as a crucial factor in regional development. This study tries to expand the theoretical implications of amenities and develop a conceptual framework of amenities through the lens of biology-economy-society. We also advance the amenities indicator system guided by three indicator models, and analyze the spatial-temporal evolution of Chinese border cities' Amenity Comprehensive Index (ACI). Furthermore, we employ the pooled OLS models and Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression Model (MGWR) to delve deeper into how amenities affect population patterns. The results show that, (1) From 2010 to 2020, the overall amenity level in China's border cities has continuously improved, forming three high-level clusters in the northeast, northwest, and southwest regions. (2) We validated the amenity theory in underdeveloped areas, where the ACI demonstrates a significant positive impact on the population size of China's border towns, even surpassing the influence of traditional economic factors. (3) After accounting for spatial heterogeneity and variable scales, biological amenity emerges as the foundational factor within the three-dimensional framework, followed by the economic and social dimensions. (4) Among heterogeneous populations, amenity level continues to play a constructive role, particularly among the employees in the tertiary industry. This finding partially corroborates that amenity system can not only improve living environments, but also enhance the service capacity of border cities by fostering service-oriented employment opportunities. • A three-dimensional conceptual framework for understanding and integrating the functional roles and hierarchical relationships of amenities was proposed. • The amenity level and spatial pattern of China's border areas were explored. • The applicability of amenity theory in underdeveloped areas has been verified through different dimensions and population structures.