Dongyang Zhen

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article Volume 13 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1727750 This article is part of the Research TopicIs All Politics Local When the Problem is National?

ABSTRACT Fiscal decentralization plays a pivotal role in shaping urban development across countries, influencing subnational governments' incentives and capacities in land use and infrastructure provision. This study focuses on China, where local governments, driven by political incentives, economic imperatives, and evolving intergovernmental fiscal arrangements, have played a central role in promoting land urbanization.