Studying the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of territorial space development intensity (TSDI) and its habitat quality (HQ) response is of substantial theoretical and practical significance to optimize regional development patterns and coordinate the relationship between territorial space development and eco-environmental protection. This study establishes a comprehensive assessment model across various aspects, including land, population, economy, and input, to assess the TSDI of each county in Northeast China. We used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model to evaluate the HQ of each county and investigated the HQ response to TSDI. The results showed that the TSDI in Northeast China was high in the south and west, low in the north and east, and prominent in urban agglomeration areas, which increased between 2000 and 2015. The spatial pattern of HQ was low in the east and south, high in the west and north, and the HQ was degraded as a whole. Bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis showed a significant negative spatial correlation between TSDI and HQ, and distinct patterns of local spatial agglomeration were identified. Our findings provide guidelines for territorial space planning and may offer a reference for the ecological civilization construction and the coordinated development of Northeast China.

The cultivated land-use transition (CLUT) is the morphological result of changes in the cultivated land-use mode over time, and the result of the interaction and mutual restriction of the human land system. This paper applies a “spatial–functional” integrated framework to understand the structure and functioning of CLUTs, and quantitatively evaluates and visualizes CLUTs in the major grain-producing area in southern China. The results show that (1) the comprehensive CLUT index in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River changed from 0.0480 to 0.0711 from 2001 to 2019 and indicated significant differences in the transition index between different regions. (2) The CLUT identified a positive aggregation effect under a 5% significance during the period, and the agglomeration degree of the spatial and functional transitions strengthened, which increased from 0.3776 to 0.4673 and from 0.2127 to 0.2952, respectively. (3) The gravity center of the CLUT demonstrated a pattern of migration from the southwest to the northeast, and the migration speed of the gravity center decreased from 2.9401 km/year to 1.2370 km/year. The migration direction of the gravity center for the spatial transition is opposite to the functional transition, and the migration speed of the gravity center for the spatial and functional transitions decreased from 8.3573 km/year to 1.0814 km/year, and from 3.2398 km/year to 1.0254 km/year, respectively. To address this transition, policymakers should formulate differentiated policies to promote the sustainable use of cultivated land through the spatial and functional transition of major grain-producing areas.

Poverty is a challenge worldwide. Policy and regulations guiding anti-poverty measures for governments, NGOs, and multilateral institutions have not considered the spatial scale effect of regional poverty, resulting in low-efficiency poverty alleviation actions. This study addressed research gaps by analyzing the multi-scale (county, township, and village) features of regional poverty in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin province, China. It examined the impact of geographic capital and associated spatial heterogeneity from four dimensions: natural environment, transport location, facilities accessibility, and socioeconomic development. The results identified that regional poverty varied at different scales: lower-scale poverty had higher levels of spatial differences, agglomeration, and spatial autocorrelation than higher-scale poverty, and the “island effect” was prominent. The factors potentially impacting regional poverty varied at different scales for geographical capital. At the township scale, only transport location and socioeconomic development dimensions could make significant differences. Factors in all four dimensions could affect village-scale poverty significantly, and the natural environment dimension was more effective than the other three dimensions. The impact of geographic capital and its spatial heterogeneity at the village scale varied, implying that local and diverse anti-poverty measures should increase. This study improves understanding of the multi-scale features of regional poverty and supports the formulation of effective anti-poverty measures.

Urban–rural integration (URI) is essential for achieving sustainable regional development and addressing the long-standing urban–rural dual-structure divide. This study investigates the impact of factor mobility—specifically labor, capital, and land—on URI across 1712 Chinese counties. By constructing a multidimensional evaluation system for URI and employing a Spatial Durbin Model (SDM), we unpack the direct and indirect effects, as well as the spatial spillover effects of these factors. The results indicate that URI levels in China exhibit significant positive spatial autocorrelation and distinct regional disparities. Labor and capital mobility significantly promote URI, manifesting robust positive direct effects and spatial spillovers that benefit neighboring counties. By contrast, land mobility reveals a “structural mismatch,” whereby inefficient land-use conversion can hinder integration, particularly in less-developed regions. Heterogeneity analysis further shows that the effects of factor mobility are strongest in Eastern China, while Western regions face structural constraints. These findings suggest that sustainable urban–rural transformation requires not only the free flow of production factors but also a coordinated spatial strategy to mitigate regional imbalances. This study provides policy-relevant insights for policymakers aiming to optimize factor allocation and enhance grassroots-level sustainability within the framework of rural revitalization and integrated regional development.