Multi-dimensional influence measurement of urbanization on the quality of natural living environment in China

Abstract

With the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization and the continuous improvement of social productivity, people are increasingly demanding a higher quality of the living environment. Based on existing research, this study built a compiled index system to evaluate the quality of natural living environment (NLEQ). Thereafter, the spatiotemporal characteristics of NLEQ were analyzed using a panel regression analysis, to explore the mechanism of urbanization through the multi-dimensional method of system–subsystem–factors. The results show that NLEQ significantly improved from 2008 to 2017; resource-environmental quality (REQ) had a north–south difference, while environmental pollution governance (EPG) had an east–west difference due to the different influences of urbanization on NLEQ, REQ, and EPG. Industrial urbanization had a significant influence on REQ, and population urbanization and land urbanization had a significant influence on EPG. These results suggest that more attention should be paid to resource conservation and pollution treatment in the context of rapid urbanization. This article describes the evaluation of NLEQ and discusses the relationship between urbanization and NLEQ from a geographical perspective. It is of critical reference to study regional development imbalances in the natural living environment, in order to construct an ecological civilization.