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Urban–Rural Construction Land Market Integration Under Rural Land Institutional Reform: Evidence From Three Pilot Regions in China

Author

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  • Ying Chen
  • Kejun Li

Abstract

China's reform permitting rural collective construction land to enter the market has created new institutional conditions for the integration of the urban–rural land market, revitalizing rural areas, and promoting balanced regional development. From the perspectives of property rights differentiation and governance structure, this study constructs a Structure‐Conduct‐Performance (SCP) analytical framework to examine patterns of market integration under rural land institutional reform. A comparative case study was conducted in three representative regions in China, namely Wujin District (eastern), Changyuan County (central), and Meitan County (western), to examine the mechanisms of urban–rural construction land markets integration. The results indicate significant regional heterogeneity in the degree of market integration across pilot regions operating under a common reform framework. Depending on local property‐right foundations, three distinct governance structures have emerged: market‐dominated, government–market hybrid, and government‐guided. Each governance structure corresponds with a distinct pattern of price integration. Therefore, rural land system reforms should be adapted to local conditions, with governance paths aligned to the existing property rights foundation, to progressively advance urban–rural land market integration through context‐specific governance arrangements.

Suggested Citation

  • Ying Chen & Kejun Li, 2026. "Urban–Rural Construction Land Market Integration Under Rural Land Institutional Reform: Evidence From Three Pilot Regions in China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(2), June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:57:y:2026:i:2:n:e70131
    DOI: 10.1111/grow.70131
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