标题：The Multi-Dimensional Marginality of Inter-Provincial Border Regions: Spatio-Temporal Patterns and Driving Mechanisms in China

作者：Yong Han, Rui Dong, Lihua Zhao, Shaohan Ding, Jiarui Liu, Qian Zheng, Jianli Sun

来源出版物：Sustainability

DOI：10.3390/SU18094166

出版年：2026

文献类型：Article

语种：英文

摘要：This study reconceptualises marginality in China’s inter-provincial border regions as a dynamic, scale-sensitive spatial relationship rather than a static condition of underdevelopment. Using the Hubei–Henan–Anhui border area as a case study, we quantitatively assess marginality across three dimensions—production, livelihood, and ecology—based on panel data from 61 counties for 2000, 2010, and 2021. The entropy-weighted TOPSIS method is used to calculate comprehensive development indices, and geographic detector models identify key driving factors. The results show that production marginality is persistently shaped by economic level and industrial structure. Livelihood marginality exhibits a clear temporal shift: dominant drivers move from healthcare security to cultural amenities and finally to transport accessibility. Ecological marginality remains primarily determined by natural endowments such as habitat quality and ecosystem services. Theoretically, the study advances marginality analysis by integrating spatial, temporal and dimensional perspectives. Practically, it offers a diagnostic framework to support differentiated, cross-administrative governance strategies that can transform peripheral border regions into cooperative hubs.

关键词：regional disparity; marginalization process; multi-criteria decision analysis; county-level analysis; China

影响因子：4.1

论文链接：https://doi.org/10.3390/SU18094166

（地理科学学院 刘媛心/撰稿 崔向超/初审 闫军辉/复审 韩勇/终审）