Work

Urban-rural digitalization evolves from divide to inclusion: empirical evidence from China

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Global digitalization leads to a new digital inequality, jointly faced by urban and rural areas. Diagnosing these digital challenges and seeking common coping strategies are crucial in the digital era. Yet, the state of Urban-Rural Digitalization (URD) remains ambiguous, and effective solutions are still lacking. Here we propose an integrative approach and introduce a novel Development-Gap-Integration framework to assess URD. Utilizing authoritative data from official government sources and institutes, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2020. Our findings depict a transformative journey of URD, evolving from divide to inclusion. The increasing integration accompanies by advancing development and diminishing gaps. However, we identify three significant challenges: 1) high development coinciding with high gaps, 2) inadequate integration of digital applications, and 3) widening disparity between provinces. Thus, we suggest tailored policy recommendations focused on urban-rural integration, enhancing digital literacy, and promoting regional coordinated development.

Source: npj Urban Sustainability

DOI: 10.1038/s42949-024-00187-4

Authors: Chuanglin Fang, Zehui Chen, Xia Liao, Biao Sun, Lingyu Meng

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Language: English

Topic: ICT Impact and Policies

Subfield: Media Technology

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Sustainable cities and communities, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,390