Coupling Coordination Development of New-Type Urbanization and Cultivated Land Low-Carbon Utilization in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Abstract

Although urbanization greatly benefits economy-society development in China, it poses enormous challenges to cultivated land utilization. In the context of urbanization acceleration and carbon neutrality, it’s of significance to achieve high-quality economy-society development and sustainable agricultural development. Thus, the coupling coordination relationship between new-type urbanization and cultivated land low-carbon utilization (CLLCU) needs to be examined. However, this topic has not been adequately addressed in previous studies. To fill the gap, this paper adopted a comprehensive evaluation model and a super-efficiency SBM (Slacked Based Measure) model to evaluate the level of new-type urbanization and the cultivated land low-carbon utilization efficiency (CLLCUE) of cities in the Yangtze River Delta in China from 2000 to 2018. Furthermore, the coupling coordination degree model (CCDM) and the relative development degree model (RDDM) were employed to measure the coupling coordination degree and the relative state of the new-type urbanization and CLLCU The results show that the coupling coordination degree between the new-type urbanization level and CLLCUE experienced a process of “rapid increase-steady develop” and presented a spatial pattern of “polarization-regional equilibrium”. In addition, the relative state of the new-type urbanization and CLLCU presented the “reversal” phenomenon. In other words, the relative state changed from the new-type urbanization lagging behind CLLCU to the new-type urbanization ahead of CLLCU. None of the cities were in the state of simultaneous development. Finally, this paper puts forward policy recommendations to explore differentiated CLLCU modes and improve the quality and efficiency of new-type urbanization.