Intercity travel creates more pronounced interregional linkages and spatial effects than migration. However, few studies have integrated travel into general equilibrium models to assess its welfare and general equilibrium impacts. This study quantifies the impact on regional development of travel by developing a spatial general equilibrium model including trade, migration, and travel to quantify and compare the different effects of these three spatial linkages. We structurally estimate the model using data from 287 prefecture‐level cities in China. The counterfactual analysis reveals that travel significantly impacts regional economic outputs, with effects roughly equivalent to those of migration. Additionally, travel demonstrates distinct mechanisms and effects on population distribution compared to the other two linkages. This study provides both theoretical and empirical insights into how various types of spatial linkages—particularly travel—affect interregional economic development. The findings are particularly pertinent for evaluating spatial policies, such as transportation infrastructure improvement and urban cluster development.

The current insufficient quantification and evaluation of major functions fundamentally affected regional sustainable management and policy implementation. This study focused on the problem that no effective quantitative accounting relationship has been established between development activities and resource utilization. In order to establish the relationship between major function accounting and natural resource accounting, we analyzed the relevant studies on the evaluation of major functions, natural resource accounting, environmental accounting, ecosystem services, and assets accounting. The efficiency comparison of different functions was completed using the equivalent factor method for ecosystem service value measurement and the input–output method for water footprint measurement. We found that the accounting of major functions and resources can guide regional sustainable management by using function positioning and resource comparative advantages. In addition, administrative units were linked to functional units, providing the possibility of cross-regional comparison of total functional resources, efficiency, and structure of major functions.

Domestic regional synergistic emission reduction is important in achieving national climate goals. This study constructed a game theory-based model for regional synergistic emission reduction, modified the Basic Climate Game using the exact-hat algebra method, and expanded the game model using a general spatial equilibrium model to incorporate cross-regional economic impacts generated by emission reduction actions through factors and product flows. The formation of regional comparative advantages in emission reductions and their impact on synergistic emission reductions were revealed through regional characteristics such as emission elasticity, sectoral structure, regional trade shares, and green total factor productivity. A form of synergy was then proposed that utilizes the comparative advantages of different regions, allowing for synergistic emission reductions across different income regions and engagement with regions that are still at the carbon-peaking stage in cooperation. Moreover, the model was created to be as close to the economic reality as possible to provide a trade, industry, and economic growth policy that complements emission-reduction policies.