Abstract
This paper applies the pressure-state-response (PSR) model to establish environmental quality indices for 30 administrative regions in China from 2003 to 2011 and employs panel data analysis to study the relationships among the urbanization rate, economic development and environmental change. The results reveal a remarkable inverted-U-shaped relationship between the urbanization rate and changes in regional environmental quality; the “turning point” generally appears near an urbanization rate of 60%. In addition, the degree and mode of economic development have significant, but anisotropic effects on the regional environment. Generally, at a higher degree of economic development, the environment will tend to improve, but an extensive economic growth program that simply aims to increase GDP has a clear negative impact on the environment. Overall, the results of this paper not only further confirm the “environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis”, but also expand it in a manner. The analysis in this paper implies that the inverted-U-shaped evolving relationship between environmental quality and economic growth (urbanization) is universally applicable.
Highlights
The harmonious progress of urbanization, economic development and the environment is an important field of research that combines the social and natural sciences
In addition to the urbanization rate and the control variables, we account for the delayed effects of environmental change, which indicates that the state of the environment in the previous period would have a substantial impact on its state in the current period
The results indicate that the urbanization rate and rate of change in regional environmental quality exhibit an inverted-U-shaped relationship
Summary
The harmonious progress of urbanization, economic development and the environment is an important field of research that combines the social and natural sciences. Urbanization, economic development and the natural environment are linked by a series of positive and negative effects. Developing a methodology to determine and evaluate the dynamic effects of urbanization and economic development on the environment of a country or region is an important theoretical problem, and a crucial practical issue. Since the 1960s, the negative ecological and environmental consequences of urbanization have been a focus of global economic and social development. Urbanization affects more than the development of the economy and the population’s health, education and socialization; it impacts and is concerned with environmental protection and remediation, in addition to the exploitation of natural resources
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