Survey of Improving the In-place Urbanization Quality of Agricultural Transfer Population in Hebei Province

. Hebei is a big agriculture province with large population in China, and one of its major tasks of economic and social development is to improve the level of urbanization. This paper applied the theory of the new approach to urbanization to the specific situation of Hebei, and analyzed the development lag of urbanization in Hebei from the perspectives of space, industrial structure and institutional policy. Established in the people-centered core thought, this paper aimed at improving the actual quality of in-place urbanization in Hebei, studied the outstanding cases and problems in the process of in-place urbanization development in Hebei from the angles of social and ecological environment, and compared the excellent examples of urban construction in various regions in China and the situation of Hebei, and finally to formulate targeted policy suggestion.


The background of the in-place urbanization in Hebei province
Domestic scholars have put forward many different opinions on the Chinese path of urbanization. Entering the 21st century, China's urbanization has ushered in a stage of rapid development, and a new approach to urbanization has become a hot topic widely discussed in all walks of life. Currently, the most controversial issue among scholars is the two paths of urbanization development, which are long-distance urbanization and in-place urbanization. In-place urbanization relying on the transformation of rural areas to achieve non-agricultural employment and change farmers' production method and lifestyle. While the new approach to urbanization features in the people-oriented spirit, overall urban and rural development, urban and rural integration, industrial interaction, saving production and intensification, pleasant living environment, and accord development. Hence, in the current context, the in-place urbanization path is more aligned with its essential characteristics, and will become an important choice for the new approach to urbanization strategy.
In the process of accelerating urbanization, Hebei has always followed the development concept of the new approach to urbanization. Combining with its own conditions, Hebei has been making great efforts to improve the overall carrying capacity of the city and the livable and workable environment, and promoting economic development from all aspects. Hebei earnestly implemented various requirements of the new approach to urbanization, so as to improve residents' sense of happiness, and gradually promote the construction of the new approach to urbanization.

Government level
(1) Absence of governance logic. In interviews with officials in Cangzhou and Tianjin, it was found that in order to increase land financial revenue, local governments consciously ignored the governance logic, and under the influence of intentionally grasping the big problems and letting go of the small ones, small problems were of frequent occurrence. Particularly, there has been campaignstyle enforcement of in-place urbanization construction in some areas, and various problems have emerged from a series of non-compliant operations and implementation.

EMEHSS 2022
Volume 25 (2022) 161 (2) The effectiveness of plans fail to deliver desired results. There are prominent problems in the form of urban layout. No sub-center city with influence matches Beijing and Tianjin has taken shape in Hebei. And the entire province has formed a pattern of low overall scale and level of towns and cities, small scale of large cities, small number of medium cities, and unconspicuous characteristics of small towns. Between cities and cities and cities and towns, the trend of individual development and construction is becoming more obvious, while the scale effect, agglomeration effect, and synergy effect of cooperation between cities and towns still need to be improved.
(3) Lack of openness and transparency. Openness and transparency are mainly reflected in the improvement of the grass-roots governance system and mechanism, and continuous enrichment of the content of the social security system for the transferred population. There is a strong connection between openness and transparency and the degree of trust of residents. As the main body of the new approach to urbanization, the masses have the right to know the progress of it. However, currently, some areas, especially the grassroots, still operate opaque and private work systems, or a worse backdoor system. These chaos impede the progress of the new approach to urbanization, so they are noteworthy and should be solved without delay.

Social level
(1) Lack of effective guarantee of neighborly relations. Neighborhood is an important indicator of the happiness of the masses. Residents' may feel psychologically uncomfortable in the transition from the relatively primitive social relationship into the new social relationship brought about by the new approach to urbanization, and this may cause the deficiency of coordination and progress in important aspects of the masses' life, represented by the neighborly relations. In addition, the increasing life pressure and leisure activities also objectively affect the relationship between neighbors. Such a lack of guarantee of the transformation of the neighborly relations makes the neighborhood be short of communication and help, which is not conducive to the construction of a harmonious community.
(2) Insufficient participation of the main body. Government forces and social forces are two representative forces in the process of the new approach to urbanization. The lack of participation of various subjects in the process of the new approach to urbanization, represented by villagers, village collectives, and enterprises, will not only retards the progress of urbanization, but also reduce the effect of it. For example, if the government is not active enough to participate in the new approach to urbanization, its policy planning and propaganda will directly cause certain blow to the participation willingness of the society, residents and other subjects.

Mass level
(1) Insufficient personal skills to meet urban job demands. The population entering the city need time to realize the process of citizenization orderly. Although the urbanization process in Hebei continues to develop steadily, the speed is slow and obviously lags behind the speed of industrialization. The urbanization rate of the permanent population in Hebei is 4.8% lower than that of the national average, and the urbanization rate of the registered population is quite different from that of the permanent population, meaning a considerable number of people being in the state of semicitizenization. Under such circumstances, the personal knowledge and skills of some farmers are insufficient to accustom themselves to urbanization life, which has become an important factor affecting the progress of urbanization in Hebei.
(2) The planning of industrial development harms the interests of the masses. There is too much production capacity in traditional industries, while the development of new industries needs to be improved. The modernization level of Hebei is lower than the level of industrialization, and the level of many new industries and service industries falls behind other cities in China, resulting in shortcomings in the urban economy, coastal economy, and county economy, which directly affects living standard of residents.

Optimize scientific planning and design
Scientific development needs planning first. In accordance with the principles of overall urban and rural development, orderly advancement, supporting functions, and large cities leading small ones, let central cities drive sub-central cities, and play a linkage effect with key cities and characteristic small towns. Meanwhile, Local governments in Hebei should combine the decisions and arrangements from the top and the actual situations of the local area, draw up a development plan that integrates advantages and characteristics, hold on the plan straight to the end, and formulate relevant plan for each city. And eventually form a local urban work layout of multi-point support, clear defined responsibility, and clear division of labor with the characteristics of Hebei.

Steadily promote reform of household registration system
The key to promoting people-oriented in-place urbanization is to break down the separation threshold of household registration. Give top priority to accelerating the reform of the unified household registration system, relax restrictions on household registration, promote the rational flow of the rural population, and allow all the people in China to equally share the high-quality public resources in the urbanization process.

Actively carry out skills training and quality construction activities
Strengthen skills training and carry out continuing education. Carry out professional skills training consistently will help solve employment problems with effect, improve the employability of agricultural transfer population groups, and make them actively integrate into urban life. Urban residents should also accept agricultural transfer population with a more open and inclusive attitude. At the same time, local governments should deepen policy research, strengthen social advocacy, and create a policy and cultural environment favorable for the development of floating population.

Zealously restore and protect the ecological environment
In urban construction, it is necessary to keep focus on improving the ecological environment protection and restoration of small towns with the goal of achieving high-quality green urbanization. Improve the vegetation coverage and ecological carrying capacity through new methods and new technologies. Strictly enforce environmental laws and regulations, forcing high energy-consuming enterprises to speed up the centralized and harmless processing of waste water, waste gas and solid waste, so as to effectively improve the efficiency and effect of pollution control. Moreover, improving the environmental protection concept of agricultural transfer population groups, realize the construction of green and environmentally friendly small towns and create ecologically livable green towns.

Accelerate the optimization and upgrading of industrial structure
The government should provide policy support and introduce tax incentives and other encouraging policies to foster a favorable business environment for the development of emerging industries. Introduce advanced technologies and equipment to promote industrial transformation and upgrading. Establish strategic emerging industrialization bases, innovation bases, science and technology parks, etc., thereby promote industrial upgrading and transformation with innovative technology. Promote the integration of primary, secondary and tertiary industries and expand the different functions of the three industries. Furthermore, develop ecological agriculture with characteristics of Hebei, organically combine agriculture with modern industries, improve people's life quality to promote the construction of urbanization.