With advancements in low-altitude technology and reforms in the airspace management, human activity is expanding from the ground into the low altitude space. This can unlock new dimensions of value in low-altitude resources and accelerate the development of the low-altitude economy. As a representative example of new quality productive forces, the low-altitude economy has become a key component of the national strategy for high-quality development. In response to the new demands and tasks of efficiently utilizing low-altitude resources and ensuring the sustainable development of the low-altitude economy, it is essential to leverage geography’s unique disciplinary strengths in analyzing spatial heterogeneity, systemic interactions, and dynamic evolution patterns. By conducting systematic research on theory, policy, industry, and application, it provides crucial support for addressing challenges such as resource allocation, industrial layout, and spatial governance in the development of the low-altitude economy.

As human activities extend from surface space into the three-dimensional low-altitude space, the value of low-altitude airspace resources has been activated, thereby promoting the development of the low-altitude economy. Due to the complex interactions among low-altitude airspace, the surface, and human activities, it is imperative to leverage the disciplinary advantages of geography to investigate the low-altitude human-environment system, providing guidance for the sustainable development of the human-environment system and the scientific implementation of the low-altitude economy. Through conceptual analysis, literature review, and theoretical interpretation, this study clarified the conceptual connotation and geographical characteristics of the low-altitude economy, analyzed the elemental structure and theoretical framework of the low-altitude human-environment system, and proposed key research topics for future focus. The low-altitude airspace evolved from a simple atmospheric concept into a resource element with natural, social, and economic attributes. The complex low-altitude—surface—human activity system formed by the interaction between low-altitude human activities and low-altitude geographical environments emerged as a new subject of human-environment system research. This study constructed the concept of the low-altitude human-environment system, which was composed of low-altitude resources, low-altitude geographical environments, low-altitude human activities, and their interactions. Among them, low-altitude resources were centered on the development and utilization of low-altitude airspace and included various tangible and intangible resources formed through the interaction between the surface and human activities. Their capacity measurement served as the foundation for the development of the low-altitude economy. The low-altitude geographical environment exhibited regional, complex, dynamic, and comprehensive characteristics due to factors such as boundary-layer meteorology, underlying surface conditions, topography, surface structures, ecological environments, and human activities. Low-altitude human activities referred to a series of actions undertaken by humans for survival, development, and improvement of living standards, centered around low-altitude resources, which generated economic, social, and environmental effects. The interactions between humans and environment were critical in driving the dynamic evolution and coupled coordination of the low-altitude human-environment system.

Resources science is a discipline that studies the formation, evolution, patterns of natural resources, and their interrelationships with human activities, characterized by its comprehensiveness, interdisciplinarity, and problem-oriented nature. As a major strategic emerging industry, the low-altitude economy has experienced rapid development in recent years, yet the understanding of its key foundation-low-altitude resources-needs to be strengthened. The low-altitude era calls for enhanced systematic and innovative research on low-altitude resources within the discipline of resources science. First, this study defines the concept of low-altitude resources and analyzes their four major attributes-natural, social, economic, and strategic. A multidimensional classification system is explored based on spatial, material, energy, and information-related dimensions, and the concept of “low-altitude rights” is introduced. Furthermore, this study constructs the research framework of low-altitude resources, analyzes their research characteristics, and proposes key research priorities and interdisciplinary integration directions. Finally, the future development of resources science in the context of low-altitude resources as the “new resource” and “new space” is envisioned from four aspects: supporting national strategic needs through science and technology, promoting systematic innovation in disciplinary research paradigms, advancing the development of resources science and technology systems, and enhancing global discourse power in resource utilization. This study aims to expand the research framework of resource science, provide technological support for the coordinated and sustainable utilization of low-altitude resources and the high-quality development of the low-altitude economy, aligning the discipline with the demands of the era of profound changes and fostering new academic growth points.

[Objective] The low-altitude economy is a typical representative of new quality productive forces and has attracted widespread attention from academia and government departments at all levels. This study aims to review the policies related to the development of China’s low-altitude economy, identify their evolutionary process and regional differences, and provide references for understanding the institutional context of low-altitude economy development and improving relevant policy formulation. [Methods] Policy texts and standard documents related to the low-altitude economy issued before February 20, 2025 were retrieved from the official websites of government departments and relevant agencies at all levels. Spatial statistical analysis and word frequency analysis were employed to investigate the evolutionary stages, characteristic changes, and spatial differences in low-altitude economy policies. [Results] (1) China’s low-altitude economy policies experienced evolutionary stages of exploratory development, initial development, and accelerated development. The focus of policies shifted from emphasizing safety alone to balancing safety and development, and from isolated measures to coordinated planning. The policy content expanded from single elements such as low-altitude airspace, infrastructure, and vehicles to multi-element scenario applications. (2) The Yangtze River Delta, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and Chengdu-Chongqing region issued more low-altitude economy policies, while most provinces in western China had relatively fewer policies. (3) Policies across provinces focused on elements such as drones, but with different focuses. These could be summarized as the comprehensive development model represented by Guangdong, the innovation-driven model represented by Beijing, and the scenario-based application model represented by Fujian. These differences were closely related to local basic conditions, including the natural environment, economic foundation, industrial development, innovation resources, and distinctive local economies. [Conclusion] Government departments at different levels have introduced a series of policies to promote the development of the low-altitude economy. However, strategic planning needs to be strengthened, and development directions in some regions remain unclear. In the future, national-level coordinated planning should be enhanced to guide local governments in formulating low-altitude economy policies tailored to local conditions, ensuring the scientific implementation of the low-altitude economy as a national strategy.

[Objective] As an important application scenario of the low-altitude economy, drone delivery has been developing rapidly, placing higher demands on the integrated utilization of air and ground resources. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the organizational characteristics and key challenges of air-ground coordination based on practical cases, providing references for the coordination and shared use of airspace resources. [Methods] This study took Shenzhen as a case study, selecting two representative companies, S and M. Through continuous field surveys and in-depth interviews conducted from July 2024 to April 2025, it systematically analyzed their operational models, spatial layouts, and flight route planning. [Results] (1) The existing air-ground coordination operational models were shaped by business model requirements, forming two distinct models: an interconnected direct model anchored at network nodes, and an end-responsive model anchored at commercial districts. (2) The different operational models led to significant differences in air-ground coordination layouts: Company S established a multi-node, coordinated, and large-scale transport network by relying on self-operated distribution centers and delivery outlets, while Company M developed a dense, single-center service system focused on commercial districts. (3) Differences in spatial layout further influenced the interaction between flight routes and ground networks. Company S generally located its facilities in open areas such as logistics parks, resulting in higher flexibility in flight route planning. Company M operated at altitudes lower than densely built urban high-rise buildings, facing more complex spatial constraints. [Conclusion] Low-altitude delivery systems effectively leverage the flexibility and efficiency of drones, expanding service coverage and improving overall delivery efficiency through integration with ground transportation systems. In the future, it is essential to enhance the coordination and shared use of airspace resources, advance the deep integration of drone delivery with ground transportation infrastructure, and address coordination and connectivity challenges such as gaining access to communities and buildings.

With the continuous improvement of China’s highway network construction and the ongoing expansion of transportation infrastructure, traditional highway inspection methods can no longer meet the practical requirements of modern highway maintenance and management in terms of efficiency, safety, and coverage. Low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing technology, with its advantages of high mobility, low cost, and strong data acquisition capability, provides a novel technical solution for highway inspection. Therefore, this study first systematically reviews the current application status and development trends of low-altitude UAV remote sensing technology in highway inspection, and conducts an in-depth analysis of its application progress in four typical scenarios: intelligent detection of pavement distress, bridge distress identification and vibration monitoring, slope stability monitoring and risk early warning, and rapid emergency response and disaster assessment. Focusing on the “low-altitude flight—distress identification—real-time computing—3D visualization” technical pathway, this study primarily discusses key technical methods such as low-altitude inspection route planning, automatic pavement distress identification, edge computing for real-time processing, and 3D reconstruction with digital twin. Additionally, this study elaborates on the practical challenges faced by existing low-altitude remote sensing technology in highway inspection applications, including insufficient data stability and standardization, lack of multi-source data fusion and integrated application, mismatch between model accuracy and industry requirements, and issues related to policies, regulations, and safety management. Finally, from the three dimensions of deepening technical applications, breakthroughs in key technologies, and development of standardized regulations, this study proposes the key directions for the future development of low-altitude remote sensing technology in highway inspection, providing theoretical references and technical support for advancing highway maintenance and management toward intelligent, information-based, and refined models.

[Objective] In the context of the rapid development of the low-altitude economy, the widespread application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has brought increasing demands for airspace management and task identification. Mining and analyzing UAV flight data is not only conducive to revealing UAV behavioral modes, but also deepens the understanding of their movement patterns. However, existing research primarily focuses on path planning and trajectory prediction, with limited efforts devoted to the mining and analysis of UAV movement patterns. [Methods] This study focused on the patrol patterns in UAV flight trajectories, which were “furrow-style” or “grid-like” flight patterns generated during agricultural operations, terrain mapping, and other tasks. A method was designed to extract such patterns, and spatiotemporal analysis methods were applied to conduct statistical analysis, spatiotemporal clustering analysis, and task-type analysis of the extracted patrol trajectories. The effectiveness of the proposed method was validated using nationwide UAV trajectory data collected from January 1 to 3, 2024. [Results] The experimental results verified the accuracy of the proposed patrol pattern extraction method. By analyzing the patrol trajectories from multiple aspects, their spatiotemporal distribution characteristics were explored. The results showed that temporally, patrol trajectories were mainly concentrated between 8:00 and 18:00. Spatially, they exhibited a pattern of “dense in the east and sparse in the west”. These trajectories showed stable flight altitudes and relatively high speeds. Moreover, when combined with land use data, it was found that flight patterns showed strong coupling with land surface functions. [Conclusion] The proposed patrol pattern extraction method and the applied spatiotemporal analysis approach can effectively identify UAV patrol trajectories, thereby providing feasible technical pathways and data support for UAV task recognition, operational behavior analysis, and airspace management.

[Objective] Under the urgent needs of global warming and energy structure transformation, the development of low-altitude economy has become an important path to promote the green and low-carbon transformation in the transportation sector. As a new solution for low-altitude traffic, the large-scale application of electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL) needs to systematically analyze the “demand-technology” coordination mechanism of its scene application. However, how to deconstruct the adaptation logic of scenario demand and technology supply, and accurately identify the interaction mechanism between market preference and technology bottleneck is the focus of attention. By quantifying the characteristics of market demand and the trend of technology supply, it can provide theoretical support for policy formulation and industrial layout. [Methods] This study conducted a meta-analysis of published eVTOL-related literature to examine the influence mechanisms of variables such as passenger age, gender, and attitude on eVTOL attractiveness and scenario-specific moderating effects. Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling was applied to extract effective patent texts related to eVTOL from the incoPat database, identifying the evolutionary trends of technological topics. [Results] (1) On the demand side, in terms of the impact mechanism, passengers’ attitudes and family monthly income significantly positively drive eVTOL. Attractiveness, travel cost and time negatively inhibit eVTOL attractiveness ; as far as the moderating effect is concerned, the influence of passenger attitude in urban scenes is the most sensitive. In the airport scene, the most obvious is the positive impact of passenger age and family monthly income. In the scenic spot scene, the influence of passengers’ attitude and travel cost is the most significant. (2) On the supply side, the evolution of patent topics demonstrated a three-stage pattern: the technology incubation stage focused on comprehensive technological deployment in urban scenarios, the technology deepening stage shifted toward systematic breakthroughs in endurance bottlenecks, and the intelligent transformation stage prioritized in-depth expansion of intelligent capabilities. [Conclusion] (1) eVTOL attractiveness is significantly and positively driven by attitude and income, yet negatively constrained by travel cost and time. The influence mechanisms exhibit scenario heterogeneity—airport scenarios highlight time-value premium effects, while tourism scenarios are primarily driven by experience value. (2) Technological evolution follows a progressive pattern of “basic architecture construction→endurance bottleneck breakthrough→intelligent system advancement,” demonstrating coordinated co-evolution with scenario demands.

[Objective] This study aims to systematically identify the core institutional barriers hindering the development of China’s agricultural low-altitude economy, reveal the key constraints during its transition from experimental technologies to systematic development, and draw on advanced international experience, thereby providing theoretical support and practical reference for constructing the policy pathways for China’s agricultural modernization. [Methods] Through intrinsic logic analysis and a review of international experiences, this study conducts a core challenge analysis focusing on technological application and institutional environment in agricultural low-altitude economy. The EU, Israel, Japan, the U.S., and the Netherlands are selected as representative economies or countries. Their policy response pathways are analyzed in airspace management, technological adaptation, service systems, talent support, and data platforms. Institutional experiences that can serve as references for China’s agricultural modernization are subsequently yielded. [Results] Factors including the restructuring of precision production systems, enhancement of resource utilization efficiency, co-evolution of technology and institutions, and transformation of sustainable development paradigm have jointly driven the expansion of application boundaries of the agricultural low-altitude economy and the multidimensional advancement of agricultural modernization. Meanwhile, structural contradictions in technological application and systemic barriers in the institutional environment constrain the development potential of China’s agricultural low-altitude economy. [Conclusion] The high-quality development of agricultural low-altitude economy requires overcoming practical bottlenecks in technological advancement and constructing an adaptive institutional framework and governance system. Based on China’s actual conditions, efforts should focus on two dimensions: standardizing the technology system and optimizing institutional framework design, This will fully harness the potential of the low-altitude economy in the agricultural sector and stimulate innovation for agricultural modernization.

[Objective] As an important support for low-altitude flight activities, the development of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry is closely linked to the low-altitude economy. This study aims to identify the spatial distribution patterns and coordinated relationships of upstream, midstream, and downstream enterprises in the UAV industry chain, providing references for optimizing industrial spatial layout and promoting high-quality development of the low-altitude economy. [Methods] Based on enterprise big data, this study constructed a comprehensive database of operational UAV enterprises as of December 31, 2024, covering the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors of the UAV industry chain through keyword search and data cleaning. On this basis, spatial analysis methods were used to identify spatial distribution characteristics of UAV enterprises and coordinated relationships among upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors. [Results] (1) In China’s UAV industry, the upstream sector, encompassing raw material suppliers, component manufacturers, and core system developers, accounted for the largest proportion of enterprises. This was followed by downstream service providers, while midstream UAV manufacturers constituted the smallest proportion. Spatially, the distribution exhibited a pattern of “dense in the east and sparse in the west, more in the south and fewer in the north”. The Pearl River Delta exhibited the highest density, followed by the Yangtze River Delta and the Chengdu-Chongqing regions. (2) Upstream and midstream enterprises showed strong spatial clustering, with upstream enterprises having relatively higher clustering coefficients. Downstream enterprises were market-oriented, and their regional distribution showed relatively smaller differences. (3) Based on the distribution of upstream, midstream, and downstream enterprises in each city’s industry chain, cities could be categorized into four types: coordinated, demand-driven, guided, and cultivated. Coordinated cities had relatively complete industrial chains and significant developmental advantages. Demand-driven and guided cities had advantages in certain segments of the industry chain, but also faced certain shortcomings. Most cities were still in the cultivation stage, with a relatively small number of enterprises across the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors. [Conclusion] The development of the UAV industry varies across cities. Coordinated cities with relatively complete industry chains should serve as the core hubs for building globally competitive industrial clusters. Demand-driven and guided cities should strengthen and supplement their industry chains, while cultivated cities with weaker foundations should leverage local characteristics and advantages to unlock industrial potential. Overall, development strategies should be tailored to local conditions.

[Objective] The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry is an important pillar of the low-altitude economy. A thorough analysis of the spatial pattern evolution characteristics and driving mechanisms of China’s UAV industry can provide theoretical support and decision-making reference for the development of the low-altitude economy and the optimization of regional industrial layout. [Methods] Based on data from 45070 UAV enterprises across 280 prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2022, kernel density estimation, spatial autocorrelation, and geodetector were employed to analyze the spatial pattern characteristics and influencing factors of the UAV industry in China. [Results] (1) The UAV industry demonstrated significant spatial agglomeration in regions such as the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and its spatial pattern evolved from scattered point distribution to multi-core agglomeration. (2) Innovation-driven development, industrial linkages, and application scenarios were the core factors shaping the spatial pattern of the UAV industry. (3) The synergistic effects between innovation output, human capital, and technological services were significant, while factors such as economic foundation, institutional support, and industrial agglomeration exhibited differentiated interactive effects. [Conclusion] The spatial evolution of China’s UAV industry demonstrates innovation-centered characteristics. In the future, efforts should focus on improving the efficiency of innovation resource allocation, enhancing industrial collaboration mechanisms, optimizing spatial layout and application ecosystems to promote the upgrading of industrial agglomeration and coordinated regional development.

[Objective] This study aims to analyze the spatial distribution of the low-altitude economy manufacturing, along with the spatiotemporal correlation patterns and influencing factors of its industry and innovation chains. The findings are expected to provide a theoretical basis and policy support for enhancing the integration of production and innovation in the low-altitude economy. [Methods] Based on the obtained enterprise data related to components and aircraft sectors of the low-altitude economy manufacturing in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) urban agglomeration, this study employed kernel density analysis, co-location quotient analysis, and unordered multinomial logistic regression models to explore the spatial clustering characteristics of low-altitude economy manufacturing, the spatiotemporal correlation patterns between its industry and innovation chains, and their influencing factors. [Results] (1) Both production-oriented and innovation-oriented enterprises in the low-altitude economy manufacturing of the PRD urban agglomeration exhibited a pronounced Guangzhou-Shenzhen dual-core structure. These enterprises were predominantly distributed in various industrial functional zones and central urban areas. (2) The spatiotemporal correlation between production and innovation in the low-altitude economy manufacturing was characterized by production-oriented enterprises leading the spatiotemporal patterns of innovation-oriented enterprises. Meanwhile, the spatiotemporal correlation between industry and innovation chains demonstrated a pattern where component sectors followed the aircraft sectors, while the latter showed a tendency toward independent agglomeration. (3) Different spatiotemporal correlation patterns were influenced by factors such as the levels of industrial functional zones, economic vitality, land prices, distance to airports, cluster types, and enterprise scale, among which national-level industrial functional zones played a particularly prominent role. [Conclusion] The low-altitude economy manufacturing in the PRD urban agglomeration has preliminarily formed a co-agglomeration pattern of production-innovation and industry-innovation chains. However, the overall level of regional co-agglomeration still needs improvement. Building and upgrading the level of industrial functional zones is key to promoting the co-agglomeration among enterprises.

[Objective] Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) represent a key development direction in global strategic emerging technologies and one of the highly competitive high-tech products in China. Revealing the global UAV trade network and its influencing factors can provide decision-making support for optimizing the global trade pattern and helping China avoid potential trade risks. [Methods] Complex network analysis, exponential random graph model, and network vulnerability simulation model were employed to reveal the topological characteristics of the global UAV trade network from 2022 to 2024, analyze the influencing factors of the network, and simulate the network vulnerability under different impact scenarios. [Results] (1) From 2022 to 2024, global UAV trade volume increased from 4.232 billion USD to 12.665 billion USD, an increase of 1.99 times. Changes in trade volume were linked to the global geopolitical situation and trade control policies. (2) Overall, both the number of participating economies and trade connections in the global UAV trade network increased, with a significant small-world phenomenon. At present, western economies such as Ukraine and the United States have played an increasingly prominent role as importers, while the mainland of China and Hong Kong of China gradually dominated the export pattern. Malaysia’s influence on trade networks rapidly expanded. The network evolved from a single-core structure to a dual-core structure, forming a super cluster centered on the mainland of China and Hong Kong of China, covering 75% of the global economies and nearly 80% of the trade volume. (3) Reciprocal relationships served as a critical endogenous structure driving the expansion of the network. Economies with high openness, favorable institutional environment, advanced technological levels, and strong economic strength shaped the core structure of the network through their significant advantages in both imports and exports. The influence of geographical distance and geopolitical relationships on the establishment of trade connections was limited. (4) Under the influence of the transmission-based trade network motif structure, the influence of the withdrawal of different types of economies on network efficiency followed the order: intermediary type > comprehensive type > export-oriented type > import-oriented type. The influence of export restrictions by export-oriented type economies on network efficiency was greater than that of import restrictions by import-oriented type economies. [Conclusion] From 2022 to 2024, the global UAV trade scale has doubled, and changes in the network structure are linked to the international situation. China has a scale advantage and concentrated risks in the global UAV trade market.

[Objective] Low-altitude tourism is an emerging business model that integrates the low-altitude economy with the tourism industry, and a significant manifestation of how new quality productive forces empower the high-quality development of tourism. This study aims to deepen the theoretical understanding of the spatial distribution characteristics of emerging tourism forms, thereby providing references for optimizing the layout of the low-altitude tourism industry. [Methods] Taking 1718 low-altitude tourism bases in China in 2024 as the research objects, this study employed the average nearest neighbor index, Theil index, kernel density analysis, and geodetector to explore the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing mechanisms of low-altitude tourism bases. [Results] (1) The spatial distribution of low-altitude tourism bases in China exhibited significant clustering and imbalance, demonstrating an overall pattern of “more in the east and fewer in the west, more in the south and fewer in the north, and coastal agglomeration”. (2) The low-altitude tourism bases formed a spatial distribution pattern of “three poles and multiple points”, specifically represented by three high-density core areas—the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta, and Hainan Island—as well as secondary point-like clusters formed around some provincial capital cities in the central and western regions. (3) Visibility, hydrological conditions, per capita disposable income, elevation and landform, and transportation network density were key influencing factors of the spatial distribution of low-altitude tourism bases. Moreover, there was a non-linear complementary enhancement effect among the majority of influencing factors, meaning that the combined effects were significantly greater than the sum of their independent effects. (4) The spatial distribution of low-altitude tourism bases was the result of the combined effects of natural environment, tourism industry scale, social development conditions, and low-altitude industry levels. This formed a “four-force” influencing mechanism characterized by the multi-factor coupling of supporting force, traction force, guaranteeing force, and driving force. [Conclusion] The distribution of low-altitude tourism bases in China is subject to the rigid constraints of natural conditions such as visibility and hydrological conditions, as well as the synergistic driving forces of socioeconomic factors. In the future, efforts should be made to promote high-end integrated low-altitude tourism in the eastern regions, develop distinctive and widely accessible products in the central and western regions, and strengthen policy-industry coordination to achieve integrated “air-ground” development.

[Objective] To address the technological management challenges posed by the complexity, disruptiveness, elevational characteristics, and foresight characteristics of low-altitude technological innovation, this study aims to reveal the internal and external coordination mechanisms of enterprises’ low-altitude technological innovation, providing theoretical and practical guidance for the technology layout and policy-making of emerging industries. [Methods] By integrating dynamic capabilities theory and resource dependence theory, 296 A-share listed companies in China engaged in low-altitude technological innovation in 2023 were selected as the samples. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and machine learning methods, the multiple configuration paths of enterprises’ low-altitude technological innovation were explored. [Results] (1) Five equivalent configurations of low-altitude technological innovation were identified: policy-guided, university-enterprise dependent, university-government dependent, collaborative innovation, and independent breakthrough models. The core driving mechanism was reflected in the nonlinear synergy and dynamic transformation between dynamic capabilities and external resources. (2) Contingency analysis indicates that when enterprises exhibit higher levels of digital-intelligent transformation, organizational redundancy, and larger size, this influences the selection of innovation models by strengthening internal capabilities or restructuring external dependencies. (3) Machine learning results validated the robustness of the fsQCA results and highlighted the critical roles of innovation capability, government-enterprise relationships, and university-enterprise cooperation. [Conclusion] Enterprises’ low-altitude technology innovation requires precise alignment and effective coordination between internal capabilities and external resources, comprehensively considering contingency factors, dynamically and flexibly selecting suitable innovation models based on their resource endowments and external environment.