Critical indicators for assessing the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development in China

It is widely recognized that the coordinated development between urban and rural areas can not only narrow gaps in infrastructure between urban and rural areas, promote balanced development in rural areas in terms of society, economy and environment, but is also an effective way to address issues facing agriculture, rural areas and farmers. In line with this, development of infrastructure projects has been an important means for promoting coordinated urban-rural development in developing countries (such as China). However, there is a lack of indicators that can be used to assess the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development. This paper thus attempts to present a set of critical indicators for evaluating the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development in the particular context of Chongqing, Western China. First, a list of optional indicators that are with potential for assessing the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development is presented based on examination on related project feasibility reports, official reports and literature. Then 42 indicators are identified from the optional list through a questionnaire survey. By using the data collected, the relative level of significance of each indicator is derived. Finally, an indicator system consisting of 19 critical indicators is established based on results of principle component analysis. The applicability and significance of the identified indicators for assessing the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development are discussed as well. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.