German Sub-regions’ Equivalent Living Conditions Assessment: Methods and Implications
Abstract：
“Equivalent Living Condition” is a long-standing goal of social justice and the nature of the welfare state in Germany, which refers to the uniformity of access to all types of living services in any given region, encompassing regional differences and diversity. It was initially intended to address the urban-rural divide brought about by the impact of post-war industrialisation, and later to address the huge differences in infrastructure brought about by the East-West divide. To date, Germany has proposed an assessment system for measuring living conditions in sub-regions in order to equalise living conditions across the country. Through a five-step process of “index selection - factor analysis - regional classification - refinement of indicators - identification of characteristics”, the comparison of each type of region with the national average is calculated, and the level of living conditions in that type of region is determined. It determines the structural disadvantages and risks of the living conditions of each type of district, and provides the basis for subsequent policy support and funding. The advantages are twofold: firstly, through scientific and systematic analysis of data, the key indicators describing living conditions are derived, and the differences between districts and the national average are described objectively, with no hierarchy; secondly, the two-way indicators of “rigidity (objective allocation) and flexibility (subjective evaluation)” are screened in the typology of districts, which makes it easy for the government/relevant stakeholders to more accurately understand the living conditions. The second is to filter “rigid (objective allocation) and flexible (subjective evaluation)” two-way indicators after typifying living conditions, so that the government/relevant stakeholders can understand the differences in living conditions more precisely. This is of scientific significance in assessing the current situation of “public services and infrastructure” in the preliminary assessment of China’s territorial spatial planning, and also provides a more accurate reference for the subsequent planning work, policy implementation and counterpart assistance.