Spatiotemporal Coupling Coordination Urbanization and Habitat Quality in the Shandong Peninsula Urban Agglomeration

Urbanization process is developing rapidly in China, and a range of eco-environmental problems have arisen in the urbanization of the Shandong Peninsula Urban Agglomeration (SPUA). Investigating the coordination development between urbanization and habitat quality has become imperative for safeguarding ecological stability and promoting long-term regional sustainability. This study, urbanization index and habitat quality index were measured on the grid scale, and the coupling coordination degree between urbanization index and habitat quality index (UHCCD) was quantified using an optimized coupling coordination degree model, then primary factors affecting the UHCCD were analyzed. The results show that: (1) Between 2000 and 2020, the spatial pattern of urbanization index presented a structure of “single-core agglomeration” to “multi-center diffusion” and then to “axial network”. (2) The habitat quality of the SPUA exhibited a spatial pattern of high in the east and low in the west, showing downward trend. (3) The synergistic effect between urbanization index and habitat quality index was strengthened continuously, showing an overall strengthening tendency. (4) Driving factors influence on the UHCCD showed evident differences, especially socio-economic factors such as built-up area had greater explanatory power to the UHCCD. It can not only break the limitation of administrative boundaries on the judgment of inter-regional coupling coordination, but also provide basic data support for cross-regional cooperation, so as to promote the realization of the goal of human-land harmony development of the SPUA.