优化土地系统是实现乡村转型与振兴的重要抓手。论文在概念解析与进展研究的基础上，构建了土地系统优化助推乡村发展转型的研究框架，探究了研究关键与重点并对未来研究进行了展望。当前系统论证土地系统参与乡村发展转型的过程、格局、机理与效应的综合研究尚显不足，急需建立应有的科学范式与方法论体系，明确并拓展研究的分析工具，并逐渐建立起该领域的话语体系。土地系统优化助推乡村发展转型研究需要在机制解析、水平评估、效应与发展模式、未来图景模拟与优化调控等研究的基础上，进一步拓展土地系统优化对城乡融合发展、区域可持续发展乃至全球治理的影响与边际贡献研究。未来需要重点关注土地系统过程机理与区域实践、巩固拓展脱贫攻坚成果同乡村振兴有效衔接的关键土地科学问题、乡村发展转型与振兴的动力机制与情景模拟、土地系统参与城乡融合发展的机理与效应以及土地系统与乡村振兴和农业农村现代化等主题。

Optimizing land system is an important path to realize rural development transformation and vitalization. Based on the connotation of land system and rural development transformation, this paper systematically analyzed the research progress of land system optimization and rural development transformation and constructed the conceptual framework of land system optimization promoting rural development transformation. At last, the emphasis of current research and the direction of future research were probed systematically. Main conclusions are drawn as follows: (1) Land system is a complex system that takes land as the main object and coordinates the relationship between human, land and land right by carrying out land use and management activities within the scope of the earth′s land surface. Rural development transformation is the long-term and stable change of rural development model and paradigm, involving multiple dimensions such as factor, structure and function. Rural development transformation is the path of implementation that can bring the fundamental change of rural productivity. At present, Chinese rural territory is transforming from productive rural territory to multifunctional rural territory and even global rural territory. (2) The comprehensive research on the process, pattern, mechanism and effect of land system′s participation in rural development transformation is still insufficient. It is urgent to establish the proper scientific paradigm and methodology system, clarify and expand the analytical tools, and gradually establish the discourse system of this field. (3) Based on the mechanism analysis, level evaluation, effect and development model, future prospect simulation and optimization regulation, the research on the impact and marginal contribution of land system optimization on urban-rural integrated development, regional sustainable development and even global governance should be further expanded. (4) In the future, we need to focus on the process mechanism and regional practice of land system, the key issues of land science of realizing effective connection of consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation and rural vitalization, the dynamic mechanism and scene simulation of rural development transformation and vitalization, and the proposition between land system, rural vitalization and modernization of agriculture and rural territory.

土地系统科学的研究视角可为促进城乡融合发展的土地利用转型研究提供参考借鉴。本文在梳理国际上土地系统科学发展历程基础上,基于土地系统科学研究视角探讨了土地利用转型影响城乡融合发展的理论框架、方式与路径以及促进城乡融合发展的土地利用转型调控途径与措施。土地系统科学致力于监测土地变化,解释驱动因素和反馈机制,理解发生于土地上的人类—环境相互作用,实现将对土地系统的科学发现转化为可持续土地利用解决方案。土地系统运行以土地可持续利用与人类福祉为准绳,显化为土地利用的多维效应。通过科学管控土地利用转型实现土地系统的良好运行能够影响城乡融合发展进程。土地利用转型通过效率提升、价值显化、要素流通与结构优化4大渠道,在“强整体”效应与“补短板”效应的作用下助推城乡融合发展。基于土地系统科学视域下促进城乡融合发展的土地利用转型调控需要重塑土地权能体系,推进国土空间综合整治,健全土地利用转型管控体系。

The research perspective of land system science can provide a reference for the study of urban-rural integrated development promoted by land use transitions. Based on the review of the development of land system science, this paper discusses the theoretical framework concerning land use transitions affecting urban-rural integrated development guided by land system science, the influential ways and paths of land use transitions on urban-rural integrated development, and the measures of promoting urban-rural integrated development via adjusting and controlling land use transitions. Land system science is committed to monitoring land use change, explaining the driving forces and feedback mechanism, understanding the human-environment interactions occurring on land, and translating scientific findings on land system into solutions for sustainable land use. The operating of land system takes sustainable land use and human well-being as the criterions, and manifests as multi-dimensional effects of land use. Operating well the land system via scientifically adjusting and controlling land use transitions can affect the process of urban-rural integrated development. Land use transitions promote the integrated development of urban and rural areas under the effects of strengthening the whole and reinforcing weak links through four channels, i.e., efficiency improvement, value embodiment, development elements circulation and structure optimization. In order to promote the integrated development of urban and rural areas from the perspective of land system science, the adjustment and control of land use transitions need to reshape the land use rights system, to promote the integrated consolidation of territorial space, and to improve the management and control system of land use transitions.

乡村振兴的核心目的是系统构建人口、土地、产业等多种发展要素的耦合格局。土地整治在乡村振兴过程中肩负着为人口集聚、产业发展提供资源支撑的基础性作用。本文基于影响乡村发展的关键要素阐释了新时代乡村振兴和土地整治的内涵及其互馈关系,剖析了乡村振兴背景下土地整治的区域实施路径。最后,就未来乡村振兴视角下土地整治的方向进行了展望与讨论。结论如下：① 乡村振兴的内涵在于为应对乡村内部要素的流失与衰退,通过经济、政治及文化建设等手段激发内部动力和吸纳外部资源来重新组合、优化配置和高效利用乡村人口、土地和产业等发展要素,从而优化要素结构、提升地域功能、重塑乡村形态,实现乡村地域经济、社会及生态的全面复兴和城乡融合发展的新格局;② 乡村振兴视角下土地整治要激活乡村人口、土地和产业等关键发展要素,统筹物质空间振兴与精神内核提升;③ 开展农村土地整治要与区域自然本底条件和社会经济发展阶段相适应,按照分区统筹、分类施策的原则在国土空间开发格局的框架下因地制宜地采取相应的模式与路径;④ 未来有必要重塑土地整治的价值取向,在统一空间规划体系下统筹土地整治规划与乡村振兴规划,大力发展土地整治与多功能农业相结合的新模式。

The core objective of rural vitalization is to systemically establish a coupling pattern of various rural development elements including population, land and industry. As one of the prerequisites, land resources is required to be optimally allocated via land consolidation. Consequently, land consolidation contributes greatly in population agglomeration, industry development and resources support under the context of combating rural decline. In light of these facts, this paper conducts an elementary analysis on the connotation of land consolidation and rural vitalization in the new era, as well as their relationships. Furthermore, the issues on the alternative paths for achieving rural vitalization via land consolidation in different regions were also discussed. Main conclusions are drawn as follows: (1) It is manifested that rural vitalization in the new era can be explained as a comprehensive process of tackling the loss and decline of rural development elements through political, economic and cultural means. Most importantly, vitalizing the interior motivation and absorbing the external power are essential for the efficient reconfiguration and utilization of rural population, land and industry, thus achieving the goals of arousing rural vitality, optimizing elements structure, enhancing territorial function and restructuring rural morphology. (2) From the perspective of rural vitalization, land consolidation, which adheres to the path of connotative development, should not only target at stimulating the key elements of rural development, but also place emphasis on the coordination of material space and spirit core, so as to realize the co-prosperity of the urban and the rural areas. (3) Regional natural indigenous factors and the corresponding phases of socio-economic development should be both taken into account in the process of implementing rural land consolidation. Following the principle of adjusting measures to local conditions, appropriate paths or modes are supposed to be chosen in different regions constrained by the territorial development pattern. Finally, focusing on a series of problems and new concepts, which is aimed at achieving urban-rural integration development and boosting socio-economic growth in rural areas, we propose further discussions.

城市与乡村是一个有机体,只有二者可持续发展,才能相互支撑。依据人地关系地域系统学说,城乡融合系统、乡村地域系统是全新认知和理解城乡关系的理论依据。针对日益严峻的“乡村病”问题,全面实施乡村振兴,既是推进城乡融合与乡村持续发展的重大战略,也是破解“三农”问题,决胜全面建成小康社会的必然要求。本文探讨了新时代城乡融合与乡村振兴的基础理论,剖析了乡村发展面临的主要问题,提出了问题导向的中国城乡融合与乡村振兴科学途径及研究前沿领域。结果表明：① 城乡融合与乡村振兴的对象是一个乡村地域多体系统,包括城乡融合体、乡村综合体、村镇有机体、居业协同体,乡村振兴重在推进城乡融合系统优化重构,加快建设城乡基础网、乡村发展区、村镇空间场、乡村振兴极等所构成的多级目标体系。② 中国“三农”问题本质上是一个乡村地域系统可持续发展问题,当前乡村发展正面临主要农业生产要素高速非农化、农村社会主体过快老弱化、村庄建设用地日益空废化、农村水土环境严重污损化和乡村贫困片区深度贫困化等“五化”难题。③ 乡村是经济社会发展的重要基础,城乡融合与乡村振兴战略相辅相成,乡村振兴应致力于创建城乡融合体制机制,推进乡村极化发展,按照产业兴旺、生态宜居、乡风文明、治理有效、生活富裕的要求,构建乡村地域系统转型—重构—创新发展综合体系。④ 乡村振兴地理学研究应着眼于乡村地域系统的复杂性、综合性、动态性,探究以根治“乡村病”为导向的新型村镇建设方案、模式和科学途径,为实现新时代中国乡村振兴战略提供理论参考。

Cities and villages are components of a specific organism. Only the sustainable development of two parts can support the prosperous development as a whole. According to the theory of man-earth areal system, urban-rural integrated system and rural regional system are the theoretical bases for entirely recognizing and understanding urban-rural relationship. To handle the increasingly severe problems of "rural disease" in rapid urbanization, accelerating rural revitalization in an all-round way is not only a major strategic plan for promoting the urban-rural integration and rural sustainable development, but also a necessary requirement for solving the issues related to agriculture, rural areas, and rural people in the new era and securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This study explores the basic theories of urban-rural integration and rural revitalization and analyzes the main problems and causes of rural development in the new era, proposing problem-oriented scientific approaches and frontier research fields of urban-rural integration and rural revitalization in China. Results show that the objects of urban-rural integration and rural revitalization is a regional multi-body system, which mainly includes urban-rural integration, rural complex, village-town organism, and housing-industry symbiosis. Rural revitalization focuses on promoting the reconstruction of urban-rural integration system and constructs a multi-level goal system including urban-rural infrastructure networks, zones of rural development, fields of village-town space and poles of rural revitalization. Currently, the rural development is facing the five problems: high-speed non-agricultural transformation of agriculture production factors, over-fast aging and weakening of rural subjects, increasingly hollowing and abandoning of rural construction land, severe fouling of rural soil and water environment and deep pauperization of rural poverty-stricken areas. The countryside is an important basis for the socioeconomic development in China, and the strategies of urban-rural integration and rural revitalization are complementary. The rural revitalization focuses on establishing the institutional mechanism for integrated urban-rural development and constructs the comprehensive development system of rural regional system, which includes transformation, reconstruction and innovation in accordance with the requirements of thriving businesses, pleasant living environments, social etiquette and civility, effective governance, and prosperity. Geographical research on rural revitalization should focus on the complexity and dynamics of rural regional system and explore new schemes, models and scientific approaches for the construction of villages and towns, which are guided by radical cure of "rural disease", implement the strategy of rural revitalization polarization, construct the evaluation index system and planning system of rural revitalization, thus providing advanced theoretical references for realizing the revitalization of China's rural areas in the new era.

This paper makes a deep analysis of the influencing factors in rural settlements evolution, including natural environment constraints, infrastructure, regional cultural inheritance and integration, urbanization and rural industry transformation, land use reformation and innovation, rural household behavior conversion, macro-control policy factors, and so on. Based on the differences between their effective way and degree to rural settlements evolution, these factors are classified into base factors, new-type factors and mutation factors. The driving of base factors is mainly focused on traditional inheritance of rural settlements, the new-type factors mainly have effect on rural settlements transition, and the mutation factors may bring about sudden change. All these factors constitute "three-wheel" driving mechanism of rural settlements evolution, and shape three typical driver paths, which are slow smooth path under the base factors, new path to rapid development under the new-type factors, sudden change path under the mutation factors.</br>The paper also investigates the overall situation of rural settlements evolution in the aspects of the settlement system, settlements scale, settlements morphology, settlements function, settlements culture, settlements environment, and so on. And the general process of rural settlements evolution is divided into four stages, i.e., initial stage, transitional stage, development stage and mature stage.

乡村绅士化是城乡要素双向流动背景下乡村转型与振兴的新型路径。基于对广西巴马盘阳河流域乡村绅士化现象的历时性田野调查,采用行动者网络理论解析乡村绅士化演化的过程、类型与机制。研究表明：在巴马盘阳河流域乡村人类行动者与非人类行动者、&#x0201c;草根&#x0201d;行动者与机构行动者共同缔结的行动者网络的转换过程中,伴随关键行动者从&#x0201c;候鸟人&#x0201d;先锋、屯社精英向地方政府、投资开发商的更替,乡村绅士化路径从&#x0201c;草根&#x0201d;绅士化向机构绅士化演替,乡村产业从接待&#x0201c;候鸟人&#x0201d;、发展旅游转向大健康产业融合发展,乡村绅士化类型从单一的舒适移民绅士化向舒适移民、旅游和地产共构的&#x0201c;一地多类&#x0201d;绅士化演化。关键行动者更替及其功能角色转换、绅士化路径变迁和主导产业更替与融合发展、宏观乡村发展制度与地域自然人文环境共同作用于乡村绅士化的阶段演替与类型共生。行动者网络理论与方法利于呈现乡村绅士化的阶段演替脉络与共生演化特征,并揭示乡村绅士演化的一般机制与地域机制。

Rural gentrification is a new path for rural transformation and revitalization under the background of two-way flow of urban and rural elements. This paper analyzes the evolution process, type and mechanism of rural gentrification based on actor-network theory (ANT) based on a diachronic field survey of rural gentrification in the Panyang River Basin of Bama County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The following results were obtained. (1) The evolution of rural gentrification is a dynamic actor-network jointly established by human and non-human actors, "grass-roots" actors and institutional actors. The evolution of rural gentrification has experienced a transition from initial to development stage, which has brought a series of changes. The key actors are replaced from the "amenity immigrants" pioneer and local elites to local governments and investment developers, while the OPP (obligatory passage point) has changed from "developing 'migratory bird' tourism and building a longevity village" to "developing comprehensive health industry and building a global longevity town". The path succession of rural gentrification changes from "grass-roots" gentrification to institutional gentrification with the replacement of key actors from "amenity immigrants" pioneers, and the rural gentrified industry has changed from receiving amenity migrants and developing tourism to the integrated development of comprehensive health industry. The gentrification type has evolved from "amenity immigration oriented" to "tourism oriented" and "real estate oriented", and finally formed a mixed rural gentrification pattern of "multiple types in one place". (2) Factors such as the replacement of key actors along with their roles and functions, the path succession of rural gentrification, the replacement and integrated development of leading industry, China's macro rural development system, as well as the regional natural and cultural environment, which jointly affect the stage succession and type symbiosis of rural gentrification. The replacement of key actors along with their roles and functions transformation dominates the stage succession of rural gentrification, while the path succession of rural gentrification as well as the replacement and integrated development of leading industry, which jointly promotes the evolution type of rural gentrification, is the general mechanism of rural gentrification evolution. At present, China's rural macro development strategy (Beautiful Countryside Construction, Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Rural Revitalization) and basic institutional arrangements (rural land collective ownership, homestead system, and regional development dominated by the local government) as well as the regional natural and cultural environment (unique healthy geographical environment, and "migratory immigrants" healthy geographical dependence, combined with the actors' power balance under the comprehensive action comprised by "Bama complex", the Zhuang clan power and the rural nostalgia) shapes the symbiotic characteristics of evolution type, which is the regional mechanism of rural gentrification evolution. (3) Actor-network theory (ANT) is a conducive method to show the stage succession context and symbiotic characteristics of evolution type, and reveal the general mechanism and regional mechanism of rural gentrification evolution.

引入&#x0201c;生活质量理论&#x0201d;,基于乡村聚落空间与生活质量的双向循环互动机理,从乡村聚落空间功能整合、空间结构优化、空间尺度调控等三个方面研究乡村聚落空间优化问题,试图构建有效提高生活质量的乡村聚落空间优化框架与模式。研究认为：① 聚落是生活质量的空间载体,生活质量是聚落的本质内容,乡村聚落与生活质量相互促进、相互影响,构建科学合理的乡村聚落空间是提高农民生活质量的重要前提。② 乡村聚落空间功能类型可以划分为生计维持型功能、产业发展型功能与品质提升型功能,生活质量导向的乡村聚落空间功能优化,重点在于提升生计维持型功能,整合产业发展型功能,植入品质提升型功能。③ 乡村聚落空间结构优化的重点有两个方面,一是要促进居住空间、农业空间、工业空间有机集聚,社会交往空间、休闲空间、服务空间有机疏散,生活空间、生产空间、生态空间有机均衡,以实现聚落内部空间类型比例合理化与组合最优化;二是要通过聚居区位转换与聚落职能调整,移拆部分衰落村落,保留部分一般村落,扩大部分重点村落,新建部分新型村落,形成&#x0201c;综合村&#x02014;特色村&#x0201d;的功能结构等级,构建以乡村公路为链接的聚落体系空间组织模式。④ RROD模式是基于生活质量导向的乡村聚落空间优化的理想模式,该模式的构建要合理确定聚落单体的规模尺度与聚落之间的距离尺度,引导形成结构合理、设施配套、功能完备、分布有序的RROD和RROD体系。

This paper introduces the "life quality theory". Based on the two-way interactive mechanism between space of rural settlements and the life quality, the paper researches the optimization mode of spatial organization of rural settlements in three aspects, which are the integration of rural settlement spatial functions, the optimization of spatial structure and the regulation of spatial scale, so as to build optimization mode and framework of spatial organization of rural settlements with high quality life. The study suggests that: (1) The settlement is the spatial carrier of life quality and the life quality is the essential content of settlements. The two mentioned above influence and improve each other. So, the reasonable rural settlement space is the important precondition for higher life quality. (2) The type of spatial function of rural settlements can be divided into livelihood maintaining, industrial developing and quality optimizing, and the optimization of spatial organization of rural settlements oriented by life quality requires promotion of livelihood maintaining, integration of industrial developing and engagement of quality optimizing. (3) There are two important aspects in the optimization of spatial organization of rural settlements. The one is to promote the organic concentration of living space, agricultural space and industrial space, the organic evacuation of social intercourse space, recreational space and services space, and the organic balance of living space, production space and ecological space, in order to realize the reasonable proportion and optimized combination of internal spatial type in settlements. And the other one is to form a functional structure level of "comprehensive village - featured village" and build spatial organization mode of settlements connected by rural roads by switching the location and adjusting the function, with the destruction of underdeveloped villages, the saving of normal villages, the enlargement of important villages, and the construction of new villages. (4) As an ideal mode of rural settlements space optimization oriented by life quality, RROD mode should be built at a rational scale of unit settlement and distance between settlements, leading to an RROD and RROD system with rational structure, auxiliary facility, fully function and well-organized distribution.

面对全球环境挑战,可持续发展备受关注,成为21世纪举世瞩目的新兴领域。乡村可持续性科学作为可持续性科学的重要组成部分,是一门以跨学科思维、多尺度视角来理解和改善乡村人地关系的、以应用为导向的整合型学科。与城市可持续性科学相互对应并相互联系,乡村可持续性科学是应对乡村衰退、促进乡村可持续发展所急需的科学支撑。本文在讨论可持续性、乡村可持续性与乡村可持续性科学概念基础上,以农业可持续性、社区可持续性与农民福祉为主要内容,构建了一个多学科综合的乡村可持续性科学研究框架。中国是一个农业大国,城乡差距明显,“三农”问题复杂,1978年改革开放以来,乡村发展迅速,但也面临艰巨挑战。乡村振兴战略的实施是推动中国乡村向可持续发展转型的有效途径,但其理论与实践体系尚不完善。具有中国特色的乡村可持续性科学的发展,可以为乡村振兴战略实施提供理论、技术与决策支撑。为此,本文对中国乡村可持续发展现状进行了分析,并基于文献分析探讨了中国乡村可持续研究的不足。结论显示,中国乡村迫切需要向可持续发展转型,但乡村可持续性科学基础薄弱,需借鉴国际经验,立足本国国情,强化跨学科研究与人地系统耦合研究,聚焦9个适应中国当前乡村发展需求的核心议题,并因地制宜地将乡村可持续性研究成果转化为指导乡村振兴发展的行动策略。

In the face of global environmental challenges, sustainable development has received much attention worldwide, and sustainability science has emerged in the 21st century as a globally well-recognized new area of science. Rural sustainability science, as an important part of sustainability science, is a use-inspired science aimed at understanding and improving the dynamic relationship between people and the rural environment from a transdisciplinary and multiscale perspective. In tandem with urban sustainability science, it provides much needed scientific support for dealing with rural decline and promoting rural sustainable development. In this paper, we first discuss the concepts of sustainability, rural sustainability, and rural sustainability science, and then propose a transdisciplinary integrated framework of rural sustainability science that focuses on agricultural sustainability, community sustainability, and rural human well-being. China is a nation with deep rural roots, complex problems involving interactions among agriculture, farmers, and villages, and huge urban-rural socioeconomic gaps. Since the reform and opening-up in 1978, China's rural areas have developed rapidly, but they still face numerous tough challenges. Rural revitalization strategies are needed for promoting the rural transition toward sustainability, but the necessary scientific basis and appropriate guidelines for formulating such strategies are still lacking. We argue that rural sustainability science can provide theoretical, technical, and decision-making support for the implementation of rural revitalization strategies. Our analysis of the current status of China's rural sustainable development indicates that the transition to sustainability is urgently needed, and so is the science that guides the transition. To address these problems, we call for transdisciplinary research that couples rural society and its environment, focusing on nine core issues in line with the needs of China's rural development and aiming to transfer knowledge of rural sustainability into local adaptive actions.

中国农房分布研究是乡村振兴的基础性工作之一。本文利用Mask R-CNN深度学习框架,采用亚米级遥感影像,基于中国各省农房的人文地理特征,分省训练出适用于本地的农房遥感解译模型,共识别1484个县的1.54亿栋农房,总建筑面积达298.2亿m²,创建出以单体农房为基础的多尺度中国农房数据库。本文分别以县域、镇域和聚落为单元进行农房密度分析：县域单元的农房密度呈现&#x0201c;东密西疏&#x0201d;的分布特征,与胡焕庸线揭示的人口分布格局相符;镇域单元的农房密度沿三大地形阶梯自西向东递增,分布从集中走向平均,与农业区划的农业生产力、地形地貌特征高度耦合;聚落单元的农房分布则呈现&#x0201c;南密北疏&#x0201d;特征形态,与气候条件、地形地貌、人均耕地等相关联。中国农房数据库的建设将为&#x0201c;可计算的&#x0201d;乡村研究奠定基础。

The research on the distribution of rural buildings is one of the essential works of rural revitalization in China. Adopting Mask R-CNN deep learning framework and collecting sub-meter remote sensing image, this research successfully trains remote sensing interpretation models suitable for local rural buildings based on the human geographical characteristics in each province. A multi-scale database of Chinese rural building based on single rural building has been created, including 154 million agricultural houses in 1484 counties with a total construction area of 29.82 billion square meters. Based on the database, this paper analyzes the distribution characteristics of rural buildings at the county, town and settlement scales. At the county scale, the density of rural buildings showed a distribution pattern of 'dense in the east and sparse in the west', consistent with the population distribution pattern revealed by Hu Huanyong Line. At the town scale, the density of rural buildings increases from west to east with the descent of three terrain steps, and the spatial distribution tends to be balanced, corresponding to the agricultural productivities and topography in the agricultural zones. At the settlement scale, the distribution of rural buildings shows the pattern of 'dense in the south and sparse in the north', consistent to the climate condition, topography and arable land per capita. The construction of China's rural building spatial database could lay a solid foundation for the "computational" rural research in the future.

Housing quality is essential to human well-being, security and health. Monitoring the housing quality is crucial for unveiling the socioeconomic development status and providing political proposals. However, depicting the nationwide housing quality in large-scale and fine detail is exceedingly rare in remote rural areas owing to the high cost of canonical survey methods. Taking rural China as an example, we collect massive rural house images for housing quality assessment by various volunteers and further build up a deep learning model based on the assessed images to realize an automatic prediction for huge raw house images. As a result, the model performance achieves a high R of 0.76. Afterward, the housing qualities of 10,000 Chinese villages are estimated based on 50,000 unlabeled geo-images, and an apparent spatial heterogeneity is discovered. Specifically, divided by Qinling Mountains-Huaihe River Line, housing quality in southern China is much better than in northern China. Our method provides high-resolution predictions of housing quality across the extensive rural area, which could be a complementary tool for automatical monitoring of housing change and supporting house-related policymaking.© 2022. The Author(s).

The creation of bay areas is one way to develop economies and culture based on natural characteristics and regional connections; successful examples include the San Francisco, New York and Tokyo Bay Areas. In 2019, China established the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA). As a result of historical and geographical factors, the GBA is uniquely characterised by being subject to ‘one country, two systems’, ‘three customs territories’, and ‘three legal systems’. This study offered ample empirical evidence based on qualitative methods referring to in-depth interviews with academics and managers as well as publicly available policies and literature in the GBA. A thematic analysis was used to explore the context and characteristics of developing higher education (HE) in the GBA. The study emphasised that developing GBA’s HE improved its partnerships from co-operation to strategic co-ordination to resource sharing. This research contributes to HE and its governance in the GBA, a topic on which there is limited information in the extant international research literature. It is also useful to policymakers and scholars as it provides potential strategies and insights regarding the development of regional higher education.