| The slowing down of population growth and the trend of population concentration in big cities indicate that some cities are currently facing the dilemma of population decline,economic recession and financial tightening.In particular,urban shrinkage has gradually become a common objective phenomenon in resource-based cities,which affects the production and life of residents to some extent.The report of the Party’s 20th National Congress points out that we must ensure and improve people’s livelihood through development,encourage joint efforts to create a better life,and constantly realize the people’s aspirations for a better life.Well-being is not only the ultimate destination of individual struggle,but also the primary goal of social governance and national development.It also reflects the implementation effect of public policies.Improving residents’ well-being has become the due meaning of government work.However,at present,shrinking cities are presenting a contradiction between slow economic development,reduced supply scale of public services,gradually strengthened awareness of residents,and diversified demands for public services,which leads to a great discount in well-being.Public service satisfaction reflects the degree of satisfaction of shrinking urban residents with the public services they enjoy.It is the subjective evaluation and cognition of residents that public services can meet their own diversified needs.It not only reflects the quality and efficiency of public services,but also reflects the level of urban governance of the government,which plays a crucial role in the well-being.Therefore,how to reverse the decline of shrinking urban development,optimize public services,and enhance residents’ happiness should become the focus of decision makers.Based on the theories of spatial justice,new public service,social equity and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,this study aims to explore the mechanism of the impact on public service satisfaction on well-being.Taking Hegang,a resource-based shrinking city in Heilongjiang Province,as the research sample,200 residents were randomly selected for questionnaire survey,with public service satisfaction as the independent variable,well-being as the dependent variable,and social justice perception as the intermediary variable.The following conclusions were drawn by constructing structural equation model and other methods:In shrinking cities,(1)public service satisfaction has a significant positive impact on perceived social justice;(2)The mean value of equity of opportunities in perceived social justice is high,and perceived social justice has a significant positive effect on well-being;(3)The satisfaction of public services in medical and health care,environmental protection,labor and employment is low,and the satisfaction of public services has a significant positive impact on well-being.Interestingly,well-being in shrinking cities is higher than the national average;(4)Perceived social justice played an indirect mediating role in the impact of public service satisfaction on well-being,with total effect value 0.579 and indirect effect value 0.363,accounting for 62.7%of the mediating proportion.The above conclusions were verified through interviews.Based on the objective status quo of shrinking cities with single industrial structure,misallocation of population resources and reduction of total public services,the following suggestions are put forward to improve well-being:(1)adhere to"smart contraction" and realize the development pattern of"small but fine";(2)Accelerate the transformation of enterprises,change the development mode,and promote high-quality economic development;(3)We will ask the people what they need,improve the quality and efficiency of public services,and increase their well-being. |
PDF Full Text Request