Emmanuel  Adeleke  

埃马纽埃尔·阿德莱克

摘要｜Abstract

关键词｜Key words

Territorial development debates increasingly emphasize that economic growth, social inclusion, and spatial transformation unfold across interconnected rural and urban spaces rather than within isolated administrative or sectoral domains. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where agriculture remains a major source of livelihoods and small towns play critical intermediary roles, the strength and quality of urban–rural linkages are central to inclusive development outcomes. Yet, in practice, rural and urban interventions are often planned and implemented separately, with infrastructure projects frequently categorized as either “rural” or “urban” without systematic attention to their wider territorial effects.

区域发展研究逐渐表明，经济增长、社会包容与空间转型并非发生于彼此孤立的行政单元或部门体系之中，而是在相互联系的城乡空间网络中共同发展的。在撒哈拉以南非洲地区，农业仍然是农村人口主要的生计来源，小城镇则在城乡体系中发挥着关键的连接作用。因此，城乡联系的强度与质量对实现包容性发展来说至关重要。然而，在实际发展实践中，城乡干预措施往往被分开规划和实施，基础设施项目也常被简单地归类为“农村”或“城市”项目，缺乏对其产生的更广泛的地域影响及城乡联动效应的系统性考量。

Rural transport infrastructure illustrates this disconnect particularly well. Rural roads and bridges are commonly justified in terms of improving access for isolated communities, reducing poverty, or supporting agricultural production. While these objectives are important, they capture only part of the development story. Improved rural mobility also reshapes flows of goods, labor, and services between rural areas and towns, influences market integration, and can stimulate economic activity and regeneration in small urban centres that serve as service and trading nodes.

尤其是乡村交通基础设施建设典型地反映了这种割裂性问题。乡村道路和桥梁建设通常被视为改善偏远地区可达性、减少贫困或支持农业生产的重要手段。这些目标本身虽然十分重要，但是它们仅揭示了发展过程的一部分。事实上，农村交通条件的改善还会重塑城乡之间货物、劳动力与服务的流通格局，推动市场整合，并进一步激发作为服务与贸易节点的小城镇的经济发展，带动其功能性更新。

This article contributes to the growing body of practice-oriented literature on integrated urban–rural development by examining how a large-scale rural mobility intervention in Niger State, Nigeria, generated wider territorial outcomes that cut across conventional rural–urban divides. Drawing on the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP), implemented between 2014 and 2020 with support from the World Bank and the French Development Agency, the paper analyzes how the rehabilitation and construction of rural roads and bridges contributed to rural revitalization while also catalyzing functional urban regeneration in connected towns and market centres.

本文分析了尼日利亚尼日尔州一项大规模乡村交通干预实践如何跨越传统城乡边界产生广泛的区域效应，为当前日益增长的、面向实践的城乡融合发展研究提供了新案例。本文以 2014—2020年在世界银行和法国开发署支持下实施的“乡村通达与交通项目”为研究对象，探讨农村道路与桥梁的修复和建设如何在促进乡村振兴的同时，推动相关城镇和市场中心的功能性更新。

The central research question guiding this article is: how can investment in rural mobility infrastructure to integrated territorial development and simultaneously advance rural revitalization and urban regeneration? Rather than treating transport infrastructure as a standalone technical input, the article synthesizes observed outcomes to show how improved mobility reorganize territorial systems through enhanced accessibility, market integration, and institutional coordination.

本文围绕“农村交通基础设施投资如何推动综合性区域发展，并促进乡村振兴与城市更新核心问题展开？”这一核心问题展开。本文并未将交通基础设施简单地视为独立的技术性投入，而是通过综合分析项目实施后的实际成效，揭示交通条件改善如何提升地区可达性、促进市场整合以及强化制度协调，进而重塑区域发展体系。

1  Conceptual Framing and Methodological Approach

1  概念框架与研究方法

Rural revitalization is increasingly understood as a multidimensional process that goes beyond agricultural production to encompass improved access to services, diversification of livelihoods, strengthened institutions, and enhanced connectivity to markets and opportunities. Similarly, urban regeneration has evolved from a narrow focus on physical redevelopment toward broader approaches that emphasize economic revitalization, functional improvement, and social inclusion, particularly in small towns and secondary cities.

乡村振兴逐渐被视为一个多维度的发展过程，其内涵已超越单纯的农业生产，涵盖了提升公共服务的可及性、促进生计的多样化、强化制度能力，以及增强市场与发展机会的连通性。同样地，城市更新也从以物理空间再开发为核心的传统模式逐步转向强调重塑经济活力、优化城市功能与提升社会包容性的综合性路径。这一点尤其体现在小城镇与次级城市的发展实践中。

Urban–rural linkages provide a unifying analytical lens for examining how these processes interact across space. Rather than treating rural and urban areas as discrete categories, urban–rural linkages focus on the flows of people, goods, capital, services, information, and governance that connect settlements of different sizes within a territory. From this perspective, infrastructure investments are not merely physical assets but key enablers of territorial integration and functional complementarity.

城乡联系为理解这些发展过程在空间层面的相互作用提供了统一的分析视角。与将城乡简单地视为彼此割裂的空间单元不同，城乡联系强调不同规模聚落之间人口、商品、资本、服务、信息及治理关系之间的流动与互动。从这一视角出发，基础设施投资不仅是单纯的物质性建设，还是推动区域整合与功能互补的重要支撑条件。

This article applies the Urban–Rural Linkages Guiding Principles (URL-GP) as a framework to analyze the Niger State RAMP intervention. The URL-GP emphasize locally grounded actions, balanced partnerships, environmental sensitivity, social inclusion, and multi-level governance as foundations for integrated territorial development. Rather than using the principles prescriptively, the article employs them as an interpretive lens to synthesize observed outcomes and draw broader lessons.

本文以《城乡联系指导原则》为分析框架，研究尼日利亚尼日尔州的乡村通达与交通项目。《城乡联系指导原则》强调，以地方为基础的、平衡的合作伙伴关系、环境敏感性、社会包容以及多层级治理，是实现综合性区域发展的关键。本文并非将这些原则作为规范性的评价标准，而是将其作为一种解释性的分析视角，用于综合梳理项目实施成效，进而提炼具有更广泛意义的发展经验与启示。

Methodologically, the article is based on a qualitative, case study adapted and analytically expanded from the UN-Habitat Compendium of Inspiring Practices on Urban–Rural Linkages. The original compendium case documented project objectives, implementation modalities, and immediate results. For the purposes of this article, the case has been restructured to foreground “so what” questions related to territorial change, spatial flows, and policy implications.

在方法论上，本文采用了定性案例研究方法，研究案例改编自联合国人居署《城乡联系启发性实践案例汇编》，并在此基础上进行了拓展。原案例主要聚焦项目目标、实施方式以及直接成效的记录。基于本文的研究目的，本文将案例内容重新组织并分析，以更好地探究区域转型、空间流动及政策影响等更深层次的具有启发性的问题。

Data sources include project documentation, post-project surveys, implementation reports, and secondary literature on rural transport, agricultural value chains, and territorial development in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. While the article does not present new primary fieldwork, it synthesizes existing evidence to generate practice-relevant insights for integrated urban–rural development.

本文数据来源包括项目文件、项目后评估调查、实施报告，以及有关尼日利亚和撒哈拉以南非洲地区乡村交通、农业价值链与区域发展方面的相关文献。尽管笔者并未开展新的实地调研，但本文通过对现有证据的综合分析，仍可为城乡融合发展提供具有实践参考价值的启示。

2  Niger State and the Challenge of Rural–Urban Connection

2  尼日尔州与城乡联系的挑战

Niger State is in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region and is the largest state in the country by land area, covering over 76,000 square kilometres—approximately eight percent of Nigeria’s total landmass. The state is endowed with vast natural resources and plays a critical role in national agricultural production. Agriculture accounts for nearly half of the state’s gross domestic product, and approximately 90 percent of the rural population depends on agriculture as a primary livelihood.

尼日尔州位于尼日利亚中部地带，是尼日利亚面积最大的州，土地面积超过76,000平方千米，约占尼日利亚国土总面积的8%。该州自然资源丰富，在国家农业生产体系中占据重要的地位。其农业生产值约占全州生产总值的一半，约 90% 的农村人口将农业作为主要的生计来源。

Despite this strong production base, Niger State has historically faced significant challenges related to infrastructure and connectivity. An estimated 21,000 kilometres of rural roads were poorly maintained prior to the intervention, limiting access to markets, services, and opportunities. Weak rural–urban linkages manifested in high transport costs, travel delays, post-harvest losses, and declining returns on agricultural investment. These challenges contributed to persistent rural poverty, limited access to healthcare and education, and uneven territorial development.

尽管拥有较强的农业生产基础，但尼日尔州长期以来面临基础设施薄弱和交通可达性不足等问题。在项目实施前，全州约有21,000千米农村道路缺乏有效维护，严重制约了农村地区对市场、公共服务和更多发展机会的可达性。此外，该地区城乡联系薄弱具体表现为运输成本高昂、出行时间较长、农产品收获后损耗严重，以及农业投资收益下降。这些问题进一步加剧了农村贫困情况，限制了农村地区获取医疗和教育服务，并导致区域发展不均衡。

Small towns and local government headquarters, which should function as service and market nodes linking rural producers to wider urban systems, were constrained by poor accessibility. Seasonal isolation during the rainy season further exacerbated disparities, reinforcing cycles of underinvestment and outmigration. In this context, improving rural mobility was not only a matter of access but a prerequisite for reactivating territorial systems and strengthening urban–rural interdependencies.

本应承担服务与市场节点功能连接农村生产者与更广泛城市体系的小城镇及地方政府中心，也因交通可达性不足而难以有效发挥作用。此外，雨季造成的季节性隔绝进一步扩大了区域差距，加剧了投资不足与人口外流的恶性循环。在这一背景下，改善农村交通流动性不仅是解决出行困难问题的方法，还是激活区域发展潜力、强化城乡相互依存关系的前提。

3  The Rural Access and Mobility Project: Design and Implementation

3  乡村通达与交通项目：设计与实施

The Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) was implemented in Niger State between 2014 and 2020 as part of Nigeria’s commitment to the National Rural Travel and Transport Policy (RTTP) of 2006. The project was co-financed by the World Bank (USD 45 million) and the French Development Agency (USD 15 million), with a total cost of USD 60 million. It was also aligned with Nigeria’s National Medium-Term Investment Programme and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

“乡村通达与交通项目”于2014—2020年在尼日尔州实施，是尼日利亚落实2006年《国家农村出行与交通政策》的重要举措之一。项目由世界银行出资4500万美元、法国开发署出资1500万美元共同资助，总投资规模达6000万美元。同时，该项目也与尼日利亚《国家中期投资计划》和《非洲农业综合发展计划》相衔接。

The overarching objective of the project was to improve transport conditions and provide sustained access to rural populations through the rehabilitation and maintenance of key rural infrastructure. The project was structured around three main components.

该项目的总体目标是通过修复和维护重点乡村基础设施，改善交通条件，为农村居民提供可持续的通达条件。项目主要由三个核心部分构成。

The first component focused on upgrading and rehabilitating rural transport infrastructure. This included design studies, construction, and engineering supervision for approximately 500 kilometres of rural roads and 20 river crossings across multiple local government areas. These investments aimed to facilitate year-round accessibility, reduce travel times, and improve the movement of agricultural produce from rural areas to urban markets. The second component emphasized community-based road maintenance schemes. Local community members were selected, trained, and equipped to carry out routine maintenance along rehabilitated roads. By embedding maintenance capacity at the community level, the project sought to enhance sustainability, create local employment, and foster a sense of ownership over infrastructure assets. The third component addressed institutional capacity gaps related to rural road asset management and transport policy implementation. This included strengthening coordination among state ministries, agencies, and local governments, as well as improving planning, monitoring, and oversight mechanisms.

第一部分聚焦农村交通基础设施的升级与修复，包括对约500千米乡村道路和20处河流通行设施的设计研究、建设施工及工程监管，覆盖多个地方政府辖区。这些措施旨在实现道路全年通行、缩短出行时间，并提升农产品从农村地区流向城市市场的运输效率。第二部分重点推进社区参与式道路养护机制。项目选拔、培训当地社区成员，由其负责已修复道路的日常养护工作。项目通过在社区层面建立维护机制，不仅提升了基础设施使用的可持续性，为当地创造了就业机会，还增强了社区居民对基础设施的认同感和责任感。第三部分则围绕农村道路资产管理和交通政策实施中制度能力不足的问题展开，重点包括加强州政府各部门、相关机构与地方政府之间的协调机制建设，以及完善规划、监测和监督机制。

Implementation was overseen by the Niger State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, with coordination by a State Project Implementation Unit. A multi-institutional State Project Monitoring Committee provided oversight, reflecting a multi-level governance approach that brought together sectoral ministries, planning bodies, and community development agencies.

该项目由尼日尔州农业与农村发展部负责统筹实施，由州级项目实施单位具体协调推进。同时，一个由多家机构组成的州级项目监督委员会负责项目监管。这样的安排体现了多层级治理的思路，即通过整合政府部门、规划机构和社区发展机构，共同推动项目实施与管理。

4  Rural Revitalization Outcomes: Livelihoods, Services, and Productivity

4  乡村振兴成果：生计、服务与生产力

The most immediate impacts of the RAMP intervention were observed in rural areas directly served by rehabilitated roads and bridges. Improved accessibility reduced travel times and transport costs, enabling farmers to move produce more efficiently to markets. Post-project surveys indicated a 40 percent increase in traffic volume from rural to urban areas and a reduction in travel costs of approximately 45 percent compared to baseline conditions.

“乡村通达与交通项目”最直接的成效体现在道路和桥梁已得到修复的农村地区。交通可达性的改善，显著缩短了出行时间并降低了运输成本，使农民能够更加高效地将农产品运往市场。项目完成后的评估调查显示，与项目实施前相比，农村至城市的交通流量增长了约40%，出行成本则下降了约45%。

These mobility improvements translated into tangible livelihood gains. Farmers experienced improved access to agricultural inputs, expanded farm sizes by an estimated 15 percent, and reduced post-harvest losses by approximately 50 percent. By lowering transaction costs and increasing market reliability, the project strengthened agricultural value chains and improved returns on investment for rural producers.

交通条件的改善进一步转化为切实的生计收益。农民获得农业投入品的渠道更加通畅，农场经营规模扩大了约15%，农产品收获后的损耗也减少了约50%。通过降低交易成本并提升市场连接的稳定性，项目强化了农业价值链，并提高了农村生产者的投资回报率。

Beyond agriculture, improved roads enhanced access to essential services. School enrolment increased by approximately four percent in intervention areas, while access to primary and secondary healthcare improved significantly. Reduced maternal mortality estimated at a 60 percent reduction compared to baseline underscores the broader social benefits of improved mobility.

除农业领域外，道路条件的改善还显著增加了农村居民所获得的基本公共服务机会。在项目覆盖区域，学校入学率提高了约4%，基层和二级医疗服务的可及性也得到明显改善。与此同时，与项目实施前相比，孕产妇死亡率下降约60%，这些变化反映出交通条件改善带来的广泛社会效益。

Employment creation formed another key dimension of rural revitalization. The project generated 621 permanent jobs within communities along rehabilitated roads, both through construction activities and ongoing maintenance schemes. Community-based maintenance groups provided income opportunities while building local skills and institutional capacity.

创造就业机会也是推动乡村振兴的重要维度之一。项目通过建设道路和建立后续养护机制，在已修复道路沿线社区共创造了621个长期就业岗位。设置以社区为基础的道路养护小组，不仅为当地居民提供了稳定的增收机会，还提升了社区养护人员的技能水平与基层机构的能力。

Collectively, these outcomes demonstrate that rural revitalization is not solely a function of increased production but also of improved connectivity, service access, and institutional strengthening. The RAMP intervention illustrates how mobility infrastructure can act as an enabling platform for multidimensional rural development.

总体而言，这些成效表明，乡村振兴不仅取决于生产能力的提升，还有赖于交通连接的改善、公共服务可及性的增强以及制度能力的提升。“乡村通达与交通项目”展示了交通基础设施如何作为一种关键性支撑平台，推动农村地区实现多维度发展。

5  From Rural Mobility to Urban Regeneration

5  从农村交通改善到城市更新

While the RAMP project was primarily framed as a rural intervention, its effects extended well beyond rural communities. Improved connectivity increased flows of goods, people, and services toward small towns and local government centres, reinforcing their roles as market, service, and coordination hubs.

尽管“乡村通达与交通项目”最初被定位为一项乡村干预项目，但是其影响远远超出农村社区。交通条件的改善促进了货物、人口与服务向小城镇及地方政府中心流动，进一步强化这些地区作为市场中心、服务节点和区域协调枢纽的功能。

The proliferation of new markets along rehabilitated corridors and the emergence of agro-processing and trading activities illustrate how improved rural mobility infrastructure stimulated local economic development in towns. Increased agricultural throughput created demand for storage, transport, retail, and financial services, supporting small and medium enterprises and diversifying urban economies.

沿修复道路不断涌现的新市场，以及农产品加工与贸易活动的发展表明，农村交通基础设施的改善，有效带动了城镇地方经济的发展。农业流通规模的扩大，进一步催生了对仓储、运输、零售及金融服务的需求，这不仅促进了中小企业发展，还推动了城镇经济结构的多样化。

Small towns benefited from increased footfall and commercial activity as rural producers and traders accessed markets more frequently. Transport operators, traders, and service providers experienced increased demand, contributing to income growth and employment creation. In this sense, rural road investments catalyzed processes of functional urban regeneration by reactivating economic roles that had been constrained by poor connectivity.

随着农村生产者和贸易商更频繁地进入市场，小城镇的人流量与商业活动显著增加。交通运输业、商贸活动及各类服务业需求持续上升，因此带动了人们的收入增长，同时创造了就业机会。从这一意义上看，乡村道路投资重新激活了相关区域因交通不畅而长期受限的经济功能，推动了城镇功能性更新的进程。

Importantly, these changes did not necessarily involve large-scale physical redevelopment or formal urban regeneration programs. Instead, regeneration occurred through functional improvement: enhanced accessibility, increased economic flows, and strengthened linkages between rural hinterlands and urban service centres. This underscores the importance of recognizing non-physical dimensions of urban regeneration, particularly in small towns and intermediary cities.

值得注意的是，这些变化并不一定依赖于大规模物理空间的改造或正式的城市更新项目。相反，这种更新更多是通过功能性提升来实现的，包括交通可达性的改善、经济流动性的扩大，以及农村腹地与城市服务中心之间联系的增强。这也反映出在小城镇和中介性城市的发展过程中，认识并重视城市更新的非物质、非空间维度具有重要的意义。

6  Territorial Outcomes through the URL-GP Lens

6 《城乡联系指导原则》视角下的区域效益

Applying the Urban–Rural Linkages Guiding Principles highlights how the RAMP intervention generated integrated territorial development outcomes. The project was locally grounded, responding directly to the mobility and market access challenges faced by rural communities in Niger State. It adopted a functional territorial approach by prioritizing road corridors that connected production areas to markets and services.

以《城乡联系指导原则》为分析框架，人们可以更清晰地理解“乡村通达与交通项目”如何推动综合性区域发展。该项目立足地方实际需求，直接回应了尼日尔州农村社区在交通出行与市场准入方面面临的现实挑战。项目采用功能导向的区域发展方法，优先建设连接农业生产区、市场与公共服务中心的重要交通走廊。

Balanced partnerships underpinned implementation, with co-financing from international partners and coordination among federal, state, and local institutions. Community engagement through maintenance schemes empowered local actors and enhanced sustainability. Environmental and social safeguards, including the implementation of an Environmental and Social Management Plan, reflected a commitment to “do no harm” principles.

该项目的实施建立在平衡多方合作伙伴关系的基础上，既包括国际合作伙伴的共同融资，也涵盖联邦、州及地方各级机构之间的协同。通过建立社区参与式道路养护机制，当地居民和基层主体得以直接参与项目实施，提升了对项目的地方认同感，也增强了项目的可持续性。与此同时，包括《环境与社会管理计划》在内的环境与社会保障措施，体现了项目对“不伤害并提供社会保护”原则的重视与落实。

From a territorial perspective, the project strengthened governance, investment, and community empowerment entry points within the URL Framework of Action. Improved mobility enabled territorial economic development by integrating rural producers into wider markets and reinforcing the intermediary role of towns. Crucially, the case challenges narrow interpretations of rural infrastructure as a purely sectoral investment. Instead, it demonstrates how mobility improvements can restructure territorial systems and generate mutually reinforcing rural and urban outcomes.

从区域发展的角度看，该项目在《城乡联系行动框架》下强化了治理协同、投资引导与社区赋权等关键路径。交通条件的改善，将农村生产者与更广阔的市场体系有效连接，强化了小城镇的中介功能，进一步推动了区域经济发展。更重要的是，该项目突破了将乡村基础设施建设简单地视为单一部门投资的传统认知。它体现了交通流动性的提升能够重构区域发展体系，并在乡村振兴与城市更新之间形成相互促进的发展效应。

7  Conclusion and Policy Implications

7  结论与政策启示

This article has examined the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) in Niger State, Nigeria, as a practice-based case of territorial transformation driven by rural mobility infrastructure. Rather than treating rural road rehabilitation as a standalone infrastructure intervention, the analysis reframes mobility as a catalyst for reconfiguring functional relationships between rural production areas, small towns, and urban markets. In doing so, the article contributes to debates on urban regeneration and rural revitalization by demonstrating how improvements in connectivity can generate integrated urban–rural development outcomes without reliance on conventional urban redevelopment strategies.

本文以尼日利亚尼日尔州“乡村通达与交通项目”为实践案例，探讨乡村交通基础设施如何推动区域发展转型，研究并未将乡村道路修复简单地视为单纯的基础设施建设项目，而是将交通流动性视为重构农村生产区、小城镇与城市市场之间功能联系的重要催化因素。通过这一分析视角，本文为城市更新与乡村振兴相关讨论提供了新的实践启示，即使不依赖传统的大规模城市再开发模式，仅通过提升区域交通流动性，也能够推动城乡融合发展，并形成综合性的城乡发展效应。

The findings show that rural road investments can play a regenerative role in territorial systems by reducing spatial frictions, stabilizing livelihoods, and enabling the circulation of goods, people, and services across the rural–urban continuum. In Niger State, enhanced rural accessibility contributed to measurable improvements in agricultural productivity, market participation, access to education and health services, and employment creation. Importantly, these outcomes were not confined to rural areas. The strengthening of transport corridors and market access stimulated the growth of intermediate market centres and small towns, where new trading activities, services, and agro-related enterprises emerged. This process reflects a form of functional urban regeneration rooted in economic activation and service provision rather than physical redevelopment.

研究结果表明，乡村道路投资能够减少空间阻隔、稳定生计来源，以及促进货物、人口与服务在城乡连续体中的流动，在区域发展体系中发挥重要的“更新”作用。在尼日尔州，农村交通可达性的改善，显著提升了农业生产效率，优化了市场参与方式，降低了教育与医疗服务的获取门槛，创造了就业机会。更重要的是，这些成效并不仅限于农村地区。交通走廊的完善和市场可达性的提高，进一步带动了中介性市场中心和小城镇的发展，促使新的贸易活动、服务业以及农业相关企业不断涌现。这一过程体现了以经济活化和服务功能提升为核心的“功能性城市更新”模式，其动力来源并非大规模的物理空间改造，而是区域经济联系与服务体系的重构。

By applying the Urban–Rural Linkages Guiding Principles as an analytical lens, the article demonstrates how infrastructure-led interventions can support integrated territorial development when they are locally grounded, institutionally coordinated, and socially inclusive. The RAMP case illustrates that rural mobility investments are most effective when embedded within multi-level governance frameworks, aligned with national policies, and complemented by community-based maintenance systems. These elements contributed to both the sustainability of the infrastructure and the distribution of benefits across social groups, including women, farmers, and transport operators.

基于《城乡联系指导原则》的分析框架，本文展示了基础设施主导型干预项目如何在立足地方需求、强化制度协同与促进社会包容的条件下，推动综合性区域发展。该案例表明，当乡村交通投资被纳入多层级治理体系、与国家政策目标相衔接，并辅以社区参与式道路养护机制时，其发展成效最为显著。这些措施不仅提升了基础设施建设与运营的可持续性，还使项目收益能够更广泛地惠及不同社会群体，包括妇女、农民以及交通运输从业者。

From a conceptual perspective, the case challenges dichotomous framings that separate rural revitalization from urban regeneration. It highlights how regeneration processes in small towns and rural market centres often occur through incremental economic intensification linked to rural production systems. Such processes are frequently overlooked in urban policy debates that privilege metropolitan cores or large-scale redevelopment projects. The Niger State experience underscores the importance of recognizing intermediary settlements as critical nodes within territorial economies, capable of translating rural productivity gains into wider spatial and economic transformation.

从概念层面来看，该案例突破了将乡村振兴与城市更新相互割裂的二元化认知。它表明，小城镇和农村市场中心的更新过程，往往是通过强化与农村生产体系相关的渐进式经济逐步实现的。然而，这类发展过程在城市政策讨论中常常被忽视，因为相关研究与实践往往更关注大都市核心区或大规模城市再开发项目。尼日尔州的实践经验进一步凸显了中介性城镇的重要性——这些小城镇和区域市场中心作为区域经济体系中的关键节点，能够推动农村生产力提升，进而带动更广泛的空间重构与经济转型。

The policy implications of this analysis are threefold. First, territorial development strategies should treat rural mobility infrastructure as a foundational enabler of integrated urban–rural development rather than as a residual sectoral investment. Investments in rural roads and bridges can generate high territorial returns when they are explicitly designed to support value chains, market access, and service connectivity. Second, small towns and rural market centres require greater policy recognition and planning support as sites of functional urban regeneration. Targeted interventions in land-use management, basic services, and local economic development can help these centres absorb and amplify the benefits of improved rural accessibility. Third, governance arrangements matter. Multi-level coordination, community participation, and institutional capacity-building were central to sustaining outcomes in Niger State and should be integral to similar initiatives elsewhere.

本文的政策启示主要体现在三个方面。首先，区域发展战略应将乡村交通基础设施视为推动城乡融合发展的基础性支撑，而非边缘性的单一部门投资。当农村道路与桥梁建设被明确纳入价值链培育、市场连接和公共服务连通等发展目标中时，其投资能够产生显著的区域综合效益。其次，小城镇和农村市场中心应在政策与规划体系中获得更多的关注，并应作为功能性城市更新的重要载体。在土地利用管理、基础公共服务和地方经济发展等方面采取有针对性的干预措施，这些中心能够更有效地吸纳并放大农村交通条件改善带来的发展红利。最后，应加强建设治理机制，这对项目成效来说至关重要。尼日尔州的实践表明，多层级协调机制、社区参与模式及制度的建设，是确保项目成效得以持续的关键，因此，其应作为其他类似项目设计与实施中的核心组成部分。

Overall, the article demonstrates that rural infrastructure, when approached through an urban–rural linkages lens, can contribute meaningfully to both rural revitalization and urban regeneration agendas. For policymakers, planners, and development practitioners, the Niger State case offers evidence that mobility-led territorial development can advance inclusive growth, reduce spatial inequalities, and foster resilient urban–rural systems across diverse African contexts.

总体而言，本文表明，当从城乡联系视角来审视农村基础设施建设时我们会发现，其不仅能够有效服务于乡村振兴，还能够为城市更新提供重要支撑。对政策制定者、规划者和发展实践者而言，尼日尔州的案例提供了有力的证据：以交通流动性改善为导向的区域发展模式，能够促进包容性增长、缩小空间发展差距，并在非洲多样的发展背景下推动更具韧性的城乡体系建设。

稿件提供：联合国人居署Grace Githiri，

中文校对：联合国人居署范利、王浩然