Urbanization and Rural Development in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Metropolitan Region: Coupling-Degree Model

Abstract

Regarding urbanization as an interactive process between urban and rural development, this paper attempts to reveal the correlation between urbanization and rural development in China through comprehensive quantitative approaches. Taking the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) Metropolitan Region as an example, it first compares the development trends of four elements—“urbanization level,” “rural demography,” “rural economy,” and “rural society”—in BTH during the past 20 years from 1990 to 2010 through data analysis. Then, based on the coupling-degree model, the interactional relationship between the four elements is further defined, as well as the regional urban–rural development characteristics. In the conclusion, the paper traces related institutional background to reveal internal causes and mechanisms. The study indicates that the rural economy of BTH has grown both in scale and output in recent decades, contradicting the general perception that high-speed urbanization leads to the decline of agriculture in BTH.