Towards high-quality territorial spaces: Theorizing space quality and measuring its social-spatial inequities

Under the dual demands for a better life and sustainable development, shaping high-quality territorial space is both a policy goal for local governments and a public pursuit. However, the limited focus on territorial space quality (TSQ) methods and theories may misguide decision-making and hinder high-quality space development. This study preliminarily establishes a theoretical framework, conceptual model, and assessment system for TSQ, offering policymakers a practical and interpretable decision-support tool for quantifying the spatial distribution and social-spatial inequities of TSQ. The results showed that high-quality territorial spaces were primarily located in high-altitude mountainous and urban central areas, whereas low-quality territorial spaces were mainly located in agricultural and urban-rural fringe areas. Notably, only 20 % of the population had 83 % of the opportunities for high-quality territorial spaces. Minors and working-age groups faced greater challenges in obtaining matched quality spaces than the elderly, demonstrating the problem of social distribution inequities. Besides, 31 % of the population's demands for matched territorial spaces remains unmet, showing significant spatial heterogeneity, particularly in central urban, northern agricultural regions, and southern rural settlements, demonstrating the problem of spatial distribution inequity. Therefore, we recommend that policymakers shift from traditional quantity-, structure-, and function-oriented approaches to a quality-demand-driven paradigm to address TSQ inequities more effectively. Our findings help to clarify the gap between existing territorial space and the desired high-quality territorial space, providing insights for human-centered spatial governance and planning to support more equitable and sustainable territorial development.