Spatial-Temporal Characteristics of Urbanization Efficiency in Coastal Cities of China

Abstract

Taking the coastal cities in China as study case, this article used Super-SBM DEA and DEA Malmquist index models to analyse the urbanization efficiency, then use the Moran’s I to conclude the spatial cluster characteristics of the urbanization efficiency in coastal cities. The results show that: (1) The urbanization efficiency of coastal cities keeps increasing gradually, with the average value rising from 0.4920 in 2006 to 0.8262 in 2016. The cities with higher values locate mainly in the south of the Yangtze River, especially in Guangdong Province. (2) Technical level is the main reason that restricts the improvement of urbanization efficiency in coastal cities. On the contrary, scale efficiency and pure technology efficiency promote the improvement of urbanization efficiency. (3) There is an obvious positive agglomeration relationship in the urbanization efficiency of coastal cities, but this relationship becomes weaker in recent years. (4) The local Moran’s I of urbanization efficiency in coastal cities shows that: H-H cities are mainly located in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta. L-L cities are mostly distributed in the north of the Yangtze River. L-H and H-L cities are scattered in each province and their spatial agglomeration is weaker.