An urban–rural–natural imbalance is evident; investigating the spatiotemporal evolution of the transitional geo-space (TG) between them facilitates the integration of urban–rural land use planning. In this study, we proposed a complex system model to explore the interactive dynamics between the social–economic systems and natural ecosystems of Changning County, Southwest China, with the TG being identified and classified across the two systems. Based on a three-dimensional “direction–speed–pattern” framework, we further quantified production–living–ecological space (PLE) changes and examined the impacts of these changes on the TG from 2000 to 2022. The results are as follows: (1) The TG was classified into five categories that were stratified according to the coupling intensity and orientation of the socioeconomic system and natural ecosystems in Changning County. (2) The transition type with the most complex socio-ecological coupling was the type of semi-socioeconomic process–semi-natural ecological process, occupying 32.6% (309.4 km²) of the county’s total area in 2000 and demonstrating the most pronounced spatial dynamics, exhibiting a reduction of 78.6 km² during the study period. (3) Negative impacts on TG dynamics were observed for the conversion of ecological space into agricultural production space (p < 0.01; R² > 0.24) and the dynamic degree of PLE transformations (p < 0.01; R² > 0.13). (4) The impacts of trends in PLE on the TG varied significantly across temporal phases, whereas the CONTAG index exhibited consistently non-significant effects throughout all study periods. This study provides a new insight into understanding the optimization of spatial development patterns in urban–rural–natural regions and offers theoretical support for the governance of national land space and high-quality economic and social development in mountainous areas.

Assessing ecosystem services, identifying their driving factors, and optimizing their spatial patterns are essential for coordinating ecological conservation and socioeconomic development in mountainous regions. Taking the Anning River Basin in southwestern China as the study area, this study quantitatively assessed ecosystem services from 2010 to 2024, integrated trade-off intensity into the Integrated Ecosystem Services Index, applied a Bayesian network model to identify the driving factors of ecosystem services, and proposed strategies for spatial pattern optimization. The results showed that: (1) the mean values of water conservation and soil conservation in the Anning River Basin were 94.45 mm and 1179.64 t ha⁻¹, respectively, both showing substantial interannual fluctuations. The habitat quality index was 0.83, and the mean carbon storage was 132.68 t ha⁻¹; both habitat quality and carbon storage declined slightly. The mean food production was 0.46 t ha⁻¹, indicating an improvement in the food production function. (2) The trade-off intensity among ecosystem services was 0.33, and the Integrated Ecosystem Services Index was 0.51, remaining generally stable overall. Ecosystem services were mainly influenced by land use, precipitation, population count, and fractional vegetation cover. Their spatial heterogeneity was pronounced, with relatively low values in the Anning River Plain, the Jinsha River dry-hot valley, and the Yanyuan Basin. (3) The identified priority conservation areas for ecosystem services covered 8307 km² and were mainly distributed within ecological conservation redline areas and regulated zones. The general functional areas for ecosystem services covered 149 km² and were concentrated in urban construction areas and along major transportation corridors in the basin. Targeted strategies were further proposed to enhance the synergistic improvement of ecosystem service supply. This study provides theoretical and practical support for ecosystem management in the Anning River Basin and other mountainous watersheds.

Against the backdrop of life gradually returning to normal following the global pandemic, medical services—as a key component of public infrastructure in livable communities—continue to hold undeniable importance. However, due to the heterogeneous distribution of medical facilities, significant spatial imbalances often exist between central and peripheral areas within urban regions. Life circle theory emphasizes the spatial and temporal accessibility of essential public services within residents’ daily living spaces, while the complex-systems perspective highlights the relationships among service provision, population demand, and contextual conditions. Based on these perspectives, this study develops an assessment framework for the spatial equality of medical service functions and applies population spatialization, the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method, and Z-score standardization to evaluate Level I, Level II, Level III, and total medical service functions in Chengdu City, China. Accessibility is used to characterize residents’ modeled opportunities to reach medical services within the differentiated life-circle service ranges, while the spatial equality assessment focuses on the relative spatial correspondence between medical service provision and population demand. Under the predefined service-range and travel-mode assumptions, 97.69% of the population and 63.76% of Chengdu’s metropolitan area are covered by the total medical service function. Accessibility generally decreases from the central urban area and district or county centers toward peripheral areas. Level II, Level III, and total medical service functions exhibit a clear multicenter and hierarchical spatial structure, with higher accessibility in central urban areas and district or county centers than in their peripheral areas. The Z-score analysis further identifies relative supply–demand configurations, including high supply–high demand, low supply–low demand, oversupply, and undersupply, with Level II, Level III, and total medical service functions generally exhibiting a core–periphery pattern. These findings provide an assessment approach and spatial evidence for identifying disparities in medical service provision and supporting the differentiated planning and optimization of medical facilities within livable life circles.