Whether and how new infrastructure (NI) promotes urban–rural integration (URI) remains crucial for addressing unbalanced urban–rural development. This study analyzes panel data from 31 provincial-level administrative regions in China (2013–2022) to construct an evaluation index system for URI, encompassing economic, social, ecological, spatial, and demographic dimensions. Using the entropy method, the study quantifies the development level of NI and investigates its differential effects on URI. The empirical findings demonstrate that NI exhibits a significant positive effect on URI, with the strongest impact manifested in economic and spatial dimensions. The influence on social, ecological, and demographic aspects, while positive, is comparatively modest. Regional disparities and innovation investment levels contribute to the heterogeneous impact of NI. Moreover, the study reveals that industrial structure advancement serves as the transmission mechanism through which NI drives URI. The promotional effect becomes more pronounced after crossing both the double threshold of industrial structure upgrading and the single threshold of industrial structure rationalization. Based on these findings, the following policy recommendations are proposed to optimize the new infrastructure investment structure, promote deep integration with industrial structural adjustments, and implement new infrastructure construction in accordance with local conditions.

Whether and how new infrastructure (NI) can drive the development of rural industries (DRI) is crucial to promoting urban–rural balance and ensuring national food security. Based on panel data from Chinese provincial-level regions (2013–2022), this study constructs a comprehensive DRI evaluation system encompassing production systems, economic benefits, industrial integration, and sustainable development. Using the entropy method to measure NI development levels, we examine its heterogeneous impacts on DRI through multiple analytical dimensions. The results reveal three key findings: First, a robust “inverted U-shaped” relationship exists between NI and DRI. Second, heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that (1) both eastern and western regions show this pattern while central and northeastern regions exhibit infrastructure saturation; (2) intelligent transportation infrastructure critically moderates this relationship—advanced regions achieve greater NI efficiency through digital infrastructure–transportation–industrial synergies, whereas underdeveloped regions face bottlenecks; and (3) provinces with lower population density but higher human capital show enhanced NI absorption capacity. Third, mechanism analysis confirms industrial structure upgrading and market expansion as key transmission channels. These findings suggest that implementing tiered intelligent transportation strategies, differentiated NI policies, human capital investment, and rural market expansion optimize NI’s rural development impacts.

This study evaluates the spatial–temporal evolution of land use intensity and regional development under five shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) through prefecture-level projections in China (2020–2050). This study integrates the population–development–environment model with back propagation (BP) neural networks, a supervised learning algorithm, to analyze how differentiated development trajectories reshape land systems. Results reveal distinct pathways: SSP5 (conventional development) and SSP1 (sustainability) achieve high-income thresholds by 2025/2028 with intensive land development, while SSP3 (fragmentation) risks stagnation post-2037 accompanied by inefficient land use. Spatial analysis identifies persistent dualism across the Hu Huanyong Line—83.6% of urban land expansion concentrates in eastern regions, whereas western areas exhibit 56% lower land productivity. By 2050, regional land use efficiency differentials (0.3–4.3% Gross Domestic Product/capita growth) highlight challenges in balancing urban agglomeration and ecological conservation. These findings provide empirical evidence for optimizing land allocation policies during China’s economic transition.

The underlying tension between national park development and local community interests presents a significant challenge for contemporary ecological governance. Resident empowerment (RE) is increasingly recognized as a crucial pathway to mitigate this tension and achieve effective national park governance (NPG). However, the intrinsic mechanisms through which RE influences NPG have not been thoroughly explored in existing research. Drawing on the practice of government–resident interaction in China’s national parks, this paper investigates how the decentralization of power can balance the dual goals of environmental protection and social development. Using Three-River-Source National Park as a case study, we employ an ordered Logit regression model to examine the impact of RE on NPG. The study finds that RE is significantly and positively associated with NPG. Its influence is primarily mediated through three mechanisms: an identity effect (enhancing community belonging), an income effect (improving livelihood capabilities), and an environmental effect (strengthening participation in and perception of ecological conservation). Based on this empirical analysis, we recommend policies that further expand residents’ decision-making and management rights and broaden participation channels, thereby promoting the sustainable development and social equity of NPG.

Against the backdrop of ecological civilization construction and regional coordinated development strategies, functional zone (MFOZ) planning guides national spatial development through differentiated policies. However, a prominent conflict exists between the ecological protection responsibilities and regional development rights in restricted and prohibited development zones, leading to a vicious cycle of “ecological protection → restricted development → poverty exacerbation”. This paper focuses on the synergistic mechanisms between ecological compensation and targeted poverty alleviation. Based on the capability approach and sustainable development goals (SDGs), it analyzes the dialectical relationship between the two in terms of goal coupling, institutional design, and practical pathways. The study finds that ecological compensation can break the “ecological poverty trap” through the internalization of externalities and the enhancement of livelihood capabilities. Nevertheless, challenges remain, including low compensation standards, unbalanced benefit distribution, and insufficient legalization. Through case studies of the compensation reform in the water source area of Southern Shaanxi, China, and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union, this paper proposes the construction of a long-term mechanism integrating differentiated compensation standards, market-based fund integration, legal guarantees, and capability enhancement. The research emphasizes the need for institutional innovation to balance ecological protection and livelihood improvement, promoting a transition from “blood transfusion” compensation to “hematopoietic” development, thereby offering a Chinese solution for global sustainable development.