Spatial–Temporal Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Coupled Coordination between Urbanization and Eco-Environment: A Case Study of 13 Urban Agglomerations in China

Abstract

Urban agglomeration is the core area of not only regional economic development and urbanization but also human–land contradiction. Based on the population–economy–society–spatial model and the pressure–state–response model, this study develops an evaluation index system for the urbanization and eco-environment of 13 urban agglomerations in China. The urbanization index and eco-environment index are determined using the coefficient of variation method. The coupled coordination of the two indices is measured with the coupled coordination model, and the influence of the indicator factors is calculated with a geographical detector. The results reveal the following: (1) The urbanization indices of the 13 urban agglomerations in China increase year by year, and the spatial distribution pattern is high in the east and low in the west. (2) The eco-environment index shows an “S-shaped” variation trend, and the spatial difference between urban agglomerations gradually decreases. (3) The coupled coordination is mainly characterized as a mild imbalance, and the spatial distribution pattern is “balance in the east and imbalance in the west”. (4) The coupled coordination degree between urbanization and eco-environment is affected by many factors. Among such factors, economic urbanization, social urbanization, spatial urbanization, and eco-environment response are the main controlling factors. The impact of population urbanization, eco-environment pressure, and eco-environment state presents a gradual increase.