Exploring development dynamics and spatiotemporal balance of urban periphery at the grid scale: In the context of urban-rural integration

In the context of urban-rural transformation in the Global South, urban periphery has emerged as a critical frontier for promoting coordinated urban-rural development. However, due to the lack of methodological innovations for integrating multi-source heterogeneous data at the grid scale in complex regions, its development dynamics at the micro level remain insufficiently understood. Based on the context of urban-rural integration (URI) in China, this study proposes an evaluation framework tailored to the development of urban periphery, which can integrate diverse data types to assess its economic, social, and ecological development level at the grid scale. Using Wuhan Urban Agglomeration (WUA) as a case, the spatiotemporal evolution and balance characteristics of its urban periphery from 2012 to 2022 are analyzed. The findings reveal that the urban periphery exhibits rapid growth and phased evolution characteristics, yet regional imbalances persist due to variations in economic foundation and resource endowment. The radiation drive of cities and the economic benefits generated play a significant role in promoting development, while ecological development orientation faces marginalization risks in URI. Although the overall coordination capacity of urban periphery is gradually strengthening, the development gap between regions still requires attention. This study elaborates the development process of urban periphery at the micro level and understands its innovation and practice in the macro context. The proposed evaluation framework provides new perspectives and tools for monitoring and guiding the development transformation of global fringe areas.