Comprehensive evaluation of urban high-quality development: a case study of Liaoning Province

High-quality development, introduced by China, focuses on the cities' inner level and ignores its manifestations on the external level. Most of the studies on establishing the evaluation index system do not take into account the development of the manufacturing industry, which accounts for a large proportion of the China's economy. This study first redefines the connotation of high-quality development from the internal and external aspects of a city, and provides a new perspective for the definition of high-quality development. Secondly, manufacturing-related indicators are included in the evaluation indicator system of high-quality development to make it more comprehensive and account for the deficiencies of existing research. Liaoning Province is an important industrial estate in China. The problems faced by its development are the epitome of national problems, and it has long been a key area for scholars to study. At present, high-quality development is the only way for the development of Liaoning Province. This is both an opportunity and a challenge to the revitalization of Northeast China. This study was conducted in the Liaoning Province to help it achieve high-quality development, especially in Northeast China, as it has practical significance. On the one hand, it is conducive to leading the industrial transformation and upgrading of Liaoning and Northeast China, optimizing the layout of the regional industrial chain, and promoting the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China. On the other hand, it will provide decision-making support for further promoting high-quality development practices in Liaoning and even Northeast China. Based on the cross-sectional data of Liaoning Province in 2018, the modified gravity model and entropy method were used to evaluate the high-quality development of Liaoning Province in terms of the four dimensions namely production, living, ecology, and urban connections. The results show that: (1) the internal high-quality development of production, living, and ecology is not synchronized, with significant spatial variation. The dual-core cities (Shenyang and Dalian) have by far the best development quality of production and living. The overall ecological high-quality development presents a spatial "high in the southeast and low in the northwest" pattern, (2) the spatial connection of each city presents a radial and non-equilibrium structure with Shenyang and Dalian as the contact centers, creating a dual-core effect. The quality of ties varies significantly, and cities in fringe and inter-provincial border areas form urban tie "depressions," (3) the internal and external high-quality development lacks coordination; the ecological quality is evenly distributed among all cities, and the ecological civilization construction in Liaoning Province has achieved remarkable results, and (4) Liaoning Province should enhance manufacturing competitiveness and technological innovation capabilities, optimize the equalization of public service resource allocation, improve air quality, and strengthen the radiating and leading role of core cities on surrounding cities and cross-regional cooperation between border areas and neighboring areas.