Balancing road infrastructure and socioeconomic development in China - Proposed application of the coupling coordinated degree

摘要

Unbalanced development between infrastructure investments and improvement in rural livelihood is common among developing and emerging economies. Underlying reasons may vary from historical to topographical and climatological ones, but funding availability and allocation are primary drivers of rural development. For this reason, it is hoped that the proposed tool and ideas presented herein could be applicable beyond China and perhaps contribute to a better understanding and implementation of equitable rural development elsewhere. Indeed, the management of such large-scale transportation funding resources implores public agencies to constantly scrutinize funding allocations and measure asset deployment (i.e., road construction) in conjunction with intended development goals (increased output, enhanced living standards, etc.) Identification of potential funding reallocations could also create opportunities for governments and transportation agencies to identify potentially creative means of increasing rural road funding (e.g., public-private partnerships, industry-specific user fees).