A study of land-economy-society-ecology coordination in the Yangtze River Delta based on coupled coordination degree model

The Yangtze River Delta, one of China's economically developed and densely populated regions, depends significantly on how effectively its land use aligns with its socioeconomic structure for sustainable development. This study integrates the entropy method with a coupled coordination model, applying it in dynamic environments, and expanding its scope within big data to assess the interplay of “Land-Economy-Society-Ecology” across 27 cities in the Yangtze River Delta. The findings reveal that most cities exhibit slight imbalances or are on the brink of imbalance in their “Land-Economy-Society-Ecology” relationships. Moreover, the degree of interdependence varies across cities, with those demonstrating higher integration predominantly clustered around Shanghai. These regional disparities are the primary driver variations of the interrelations in “Land-Economy-Society-Ecology” within the Delta. Additionally, spatial absolute β convergence was not observed across the Yangtze River Delta, except for Anhui, with Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang showed no such convergence. These results underscore the imperative for the Yangtze River Delta to strategically allocate land resources, foster regional resource sharing, and prioritize high-quality economic development to achieve sustainable growth.