Socio-spatial differentiation in the Yangtze River Delta and suggestions for balanced development of population resources

Socio-spatial differentiation refers to the spatial distribution disparities among social groups with different attributes. Current research mainly focuses on intra-urban residential differentiation and rarely studies the social space at the regional scale, especially in integrated areas. Taking the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) integrated region as the study area and utilizing multi-dimensional, high-precision population attribute data from the Baidu Huiyan big data platform, this study analyzes the structure, characteristics, and mechanisms of socio-spatial differentiation within the region. The findings reveal that: (1) Based on key indicators such as spatial location, resident age, education level, income, and consumption capacity, the YRD can be divided into five distinct social areas. (2) These different social areas form a multi-nested "core-periphery" structure within the YRD, with significant socio-spatial differentiation observed across regions, between provinces, among cities, between urban and rural areas, and within cities. (3) The integration process has failed to promote a balanced distribution of social groups within the region; the socio-spatial differentiation in the YRD is the result of the combined effects of policy orientation, market mechanisms, and social forces. (4) Under the combined effects of endogenous factors, such as disparities in regional economic development levels, and exogenous factors, such as the migration of populations with different skill sets to different types of areas, there is a potential for intensified group differentiation and spatial disparities within the integrated YRD. To promote the balanced development of regional population and resources, it is necessary to explore some measures to achieve cross-regional resource integration and fair allocation, promote the equalization of high-quality public services and residents' living standards, and ultimately reach the goal of high-quality development of social space integration in the YRD.