Assessing Progress and Interactions toward SDG 11 Indicators Based on Geospatial Big Data at Prefecture-Level Cities in the Yellow River Basin between 2015 and 2020

Abstract

Rapid urbanization brings a series of dilemmas to the development of human society. To address urban sustainability, Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) is formulated by the United Nations (UN). Quantifying progress and interactions toward SDG 11 indicators is essential to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, it is limited by a lack of data in many countries, particularly at small scales. To address the gap, this study used systematic methods to calculate the integrated index of SDG 11 at prefecture-level cities with different economic groups in the Yellow River Basin based on Big Earth Data and statistical data, analyzed its spatial aggregation characteristics using spatial statistical analysis methods, and quantified synergies and trade-offs among indicators under SDG 11. We found the following results: (1) except for SDG 11.1.1, the performance of the integrated index and seven indicators improved from 2015 to 2020. (2) In GDP and disposable income groups, the top 10 cities had higher values, whereas the bottom 10 cities experienced greater growth rates in the integrated index. However, the indicators’ values and growth rates varied between the two groups. (3) There were four pairs of indicators with trade-offs that were required to overcome and eight pairs with synergies that were crucial to be reinforced and cross-leveraged in the future within SDG 11 at a 0.05 significance level. Our study identified indicators that urgently paid attention to the urban development of the Yellow River Basin and laid the foundation for local decision-makers to more effectively implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the 2030 Agenda).