Journal Home Online First Current Issue Archive For Authors Journal Information 中文版

Strategic Study of CAE >> 2016, Volume 18, Issue 5 doi: 10.15302/J-SSCAE-2016.05.013

Improving Quality of Life in the Qinba Mountain Area: A Program of Research to Understand the Impacts of New Urban Development on the Population

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA

Funding project:中国工程院重大咨询项目“秦巴山脉绿色循环发展战略研究”(2015-ZD-05) Received: 2016-07-26 Revised: 2016-08-10 Available online: 2016-09-14 10:59:15.000

Next Previous

Abstract

In recent years, a major migration program has been underway in the Qinba Mountain Area of China’s Shaanxi Province, and the initiative aims of this program are to alleviate poverty, prevent natural disasters, and improve the life quality for local residents. This paper suggests a longitudinal program of research in the Qinba Mountain Area that focuses on measuring progress in enhancing quality of life for the local population. This research aims at understanding the social implications of migration, and is primarily based on the population's views about their lives. In this paper, three population groups are impacted by the migration program — migrants who have moved to the new urban developments; the extant rural population (some of whom may eventually become migrants); and the residents in existing cities and towns affected by the new urban development. Such research can be used to monitor the program's progress, identify the program's reality effect on each group, and contribute to future planning and policy making in Shaanxi and other Chinese provinces. This paper briefly reviews the theoretical and methodological aspects of quality of life research, and outlines an approach for conducting a study in the Qinba Mountain Area.

Figures

Fig. 1

References

[ 1 ] World Bank. Environmental impact statement for the China Qinba mountains poverty reduction project [M]. Washington, DC: World Bank, 1996.

[ 2 ] Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government. The notice about print-ing and distributing “Immigration resettlement plan in Southern Shaanxi province (interim)” [M]. Xi’an: The General Office of Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government, 2011. Chinese.

[ 3 ] Zhong Y. 650 000 migrants have resettled in urban areas away from the mountains—the third series report on migration in South-ern Shaanxi [N/OL]. Shaanxi Daily, 2015-08-03 (01) [2016-08-01]. http://esb.sxdaily.com.cn/sxrb/20150803/html/index_con-tent_001.htm. Chinese. link1

[ 4 ] Hu X, Chen J. Anti-poverty by relocating in other places pulls out the roots of poverty [N/OL]. People’s Daily, 2016-06-05 (10) [2016-08-01]. http://58.68.146.102/rmrb/20160605/10. Chinese. link1

[ 5 ] Zhang J X, Shi C L, Tian S A. On new urbanization and Southern Shaanxi migration, planning and construction [J]. China Opening Journal, 2015, 180 (3): 72–75. Chinese. link1

[ 6 ] Li C, Liu W, Feng W L, et al. The influence of relocation policy on rural households’ livelihood strategy: based on the household sur-vey data in South Shaanxi province [J]. China Rural Survey, 2013 (6): 31–44. Chinese. link1

[ 7 ] Li C, Liu W, Hang Q. The current situation and influencing factor analysis on rural households’ livelihood capitals in the background of migrants’ relocation of Southern Shaanxi [J]. Modern Economic Science, 2014, 36 (6): 106−112. Chinese. link1

[ 8 ] Zhao J B. Research on the economic structure change of rural households caused by the immigration policy in Southern Shaanxi (Master’s thesis) [D]. Yangling: Northwest A&F University, 2014. Chinese. link1

[ 9 ] Marans R W, Stimson R J. Investigating quality of urban life: the-ory, methods, and empirical research [M]. Berlin: Springer Nether-lands, 2011. link1

[10] He D G. Risk of large-scale disaster-induced migration in south-ern Shaanxi province and the avoidance strategy [J]. Research of Agricultural Modernization, 2013, 34 (4): 398–402. Chinese. link1

[11] Massey D S, Gross A B, Shibuya K. Migration, segregation, and the geographic concentration of poverty [J]. American Sociologi-cal Review, 1994, 59 (3): 425–445. link1

[12] Bloom N D. Suburban alchemy: 1960s new towns and the trans-formation of the American dream [M]. Columbus: Ohio State Uni-versity Press, 2001. link1

[13] Chu C X, Meng H J. Ecology migration and sustainable devel-opment of economy in Inner Mongolia autonomous region [J]. Research of Agricultural Modernization, 2006, 27 (2): 104–109. Chinese. link1

[14] Sun G Q. New mode of recycling economy: theory and practice on ecological city of recycling economy [M]. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 2005. Chinese. link1

[15] Sun Y Y, Wang Z Z, Liu Y, et al. The effect, problem and counter-measures for government-led style ecological migration—survey and analysis of ecological migration at Xihai Gushan area in Ningxia province [J]. West Forum, 2013, 23 (2): 44−50. Chinese. link1

[16] Foggin J M. Rethinking “ecological migration” and the value of cultural continuity: a response to Wang, Song, and Hu [J]. Ambio, 2011, 40 (1): 100–101. link1

[17] Wang Z M, Song K S, Hu L J. Response to “rethinking ecological migration and the value of cultural continuity” [J]. Ambio, 2011, 40 (1): 102–103. link1

[18] Dong R B. Practice and enlightenment of ecological migration [J]. China’s Underdeveloped Regions, 2000 (10): 37–40. Chinese. link1

[19] Tang R, Zou Y Z, Xu J Y, et al. Comparison of living conditions and the countermeasures of the ecological migrants before and after migration [J]. World Latest Medicine Information, 2015 (46): 5−6. Chinese. link1

[20] West J J. Perceptions of ecological migration in Inner Mongolia, China: summary of fieldwork and relevance for climate adaptation [J]. Acta Biologica Et Medica Germanica (Acta Biol Med Ger), 2009, 37 (5–6): 834–832. link1

[21] Sheldon E B, Moore W R. Indicators of social change: concepts and measurements [M]. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1968. link1

[22] Campbell A, Converse P E, Rodgers W L. Quality of American life: perceptions, evaluations, and satisfactions [M]. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1976.

[23] Andelman R, Board R, Carman L, et al. Quality of life definition and terminology: a discussion document from the international society for quality of life studies [M]. Blacksburg: International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, 1998.

[24] United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). State of the world’s cities 2012/2013: prosperity of cities [M]. New York: Routledge, 2013. link1

[25] Praag B V, Ferrer-I-Carbonell A. Happiness quantified: a satis-faction calculus approach [M]. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. link1

[26] Lyubomirsky S. The how of happiness: a scientific approach to getting the life you want [M]. New York: Penguin Press HC, 2007.

[27] Diener E, Wirtz D, Biswas-Diener R, et al. New measures of well-being [M]// Eiener E, editor. Assessing well-being. Berlin: Springer Netherlands, 2009: 247–266. link1

[28] Mulligan G, Carruthers J, Cahill M. Urban quality of life and pub-lic policy: a survey [J]. Contributions to Economic Analysis, 2004, 266: 729–802. link1

[29] Marans R, Rodgers W L. Toward an understanding of community satisfaction [M]// Hawley AH, Rock VP, editors. Metropolitan America in contemporary perspective. New York: Sage Publica-tions, 1975: 299–352.

[30] Marans R W. Understanding environmental quality through quality of life studies: the 2001 DAS and its use of subjective and objective indicators [J]. Landscape and Urban Planning, 2003, 65 (1−2): 73–83. link1

[31] Burby R J, Weiss S F, Zehner R B. A national evaluation of com-munity services and the quality of life in American new towns [J]. Public Administration Review, 1975, 35 (3): 229–239. link1

[32] Zehner R B. Indicators of the quality of life in new communities [M]. Cambridge: Ballinger Pub. Co., 1977.

[33] Marans R, Kweon B S. The quality of life in Metro Detroit at the beginning of the Millennium [M]// Marans R W, Stimson R J, editors. Investigating quality of urban life: theory, methods, and empirical research. Berlin: Springer Netherlands, 2011: 163–183. link1

[34] Stimson R, McCrea R, Western J. The Brisbane-South East Queensland region, Australia: subjective assessment of quality of urban life and changes over time [M]// Marans R W, Stimson R J, editors. Investigating quality of urban life: theory, methods, and empirical research. Berlin: Springer Netherlands, 2011:185–207. link1

[35] Chhetri P, Stimson R, Western J. Using GIS to derive region-wide patterns of quality of urban life dimensions: illustrated with data from the Brisbane-SEQ region [M]// Marans R W, Stimson R J, editors. Investigating quality of urban life: theory, methods, and empirical research. Berlin: Springer Netherlands, 2011: 405–434. link1

Related Research