Analysis of Coupling Coordination Variance between Urbanization Quality and Eco-Environment Pressure: A Case Study of the West Taiwan Strait Urban Agglomeration, China

Rapid urbanization has affected the eco-environment in China. A clear understanding of the coupling relationship between urbanization quality and eco-environment pressure is needed for sustainable urban development. This study focused on the relationship between urbanization quality and eco-environment pressure in the West Taiwan Strait Urban Agglomeration (WTSUA) with panel data collected from 2003 to 2017. An index system was established to measure urbanization quality from four urbanization subsystems: demographic urbanization, spatial urbanization, economic urbanization, and social urbanization. An index of eco-environment pressure was developed from resource availability, energy consumption, pollution emissions, and pressure response. The level of urbanization quality and eco-environment pressure was assessed using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy method (EM). The coupling process was described using a coupling coordination degree model. Results showed the following: (1) Economic urbanization contributed the most to urbanization quality. The contribution of the four subsystems to eco-environment pressure was similar. (2) Eco-environment pressure decreased with improving urbanization quality. The coupling coordination degree between urbanization quality and eco-environment pressure increased. Spatially, the coupling coordination degree of eastern cities was higher than that of western cities. The findings of this paper will help government in planning and implementing sustainable urban development and eco-environment conservation.