Due to limited land resources, it is necessary to balance urban economic development and efficient land use. Clarifying the relationship between the two is crucial to improving both economic efficiency and land use efficiency. Considering the undesirable output of urban land use, this paper adopts a super efficiency SBM model to quantify the urban land use efficiency (ULUE) of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region from 1999 to 2019, and analyzes the relationship between ULUE and economic development level (EDL) by combining the Tapio model and the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) model. The results show the following: (1) During the study period, the ULUE showed a fluctuating upward trend on the temporal scale, with the lowest and highest inflection points occurring in 2002 and 2018, respectively, and a distribution pattern of “high in the southeast and low in the northwest” on the spatial scale. (2) The decoupling relationship between ULUE and EDL showed repeated fluctuations between decoupling and coupling states on the temporal scale, but the overall showed a transition trend from decoupling state to coupling state. On the spatial scale, from north to south, there were a strong decoupling state (SDS), weak decoupling state (WDS), strong decoupling state (SDS), and weak decoupling state (WDS) in order, showing a regular interval repetition distribution pattern. (3) The relationship between ULUE and EDL showed an EKC “U-shaped” curve, that is, ULUE decreases first and then increases with the increases in EDL. The results of this study can provide a reference for the coordinated and sustainable development of the BTH region.

The Han River Basin, a critical water conservation and ecological barrier in Hubei Province, is intricately associated with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Research results show that vegetation cover changes are affected by multiple factors, and understanding the influences of climate change and human activities on vegetation is imperative for achieving sustainable development in the basin. Through quantitative assessment of vegetation changes in diverse landform regions, implementing adaptive ecological construction and environmental protection will foster the sustainable development of ecological civilization in the Han River Basin. This study utilizes MODIS13Q1 data and employs diverse analytical methods to investigate the characteristics of vegetation change and the interrelationships between climate change, meteorological factors, and vegetation cover in various geomorphological areas of the Han River Basin from 2000 to 2020. The results showed that (1) throughout the entire study period, the NDVI of the six types of geomorphological divisions in the Han River Basin exhibited a fluctuating upward trend, with the changes in the low-altitude hilly geomorphic regions being particularly noteworthy. (2) Within the study area, approximately 92.67% of vegetation coverage displayed an increasing trend, while 7.33% showed degradation, predominantly in plains and platforms. Notably, the area of continuous improvement (31.16%) outweighed the area of continuous degradation (3.05%), with low and middle-relief mountain areas demonstrating the most robust growth and sustainability. (3) Human agriculture activities and urbanization processes have emerged as the primary driving force behind vegetation changes in the Han River Basin. The responses of vegetation to climate change and human activities exhibited significant variations across diverse geomorphological regions. In areas characterized by vegetation improvement, the contribution rate of human activities to NDVI changes in different vegetation types surpassed 70%, with plain areas displaying the highest contribution rate at a remarkable 90%. In contrast, the plain and platform regions of the vegetation degradation area were significantly influenced by climate change. In future watershed ecological environment management, it is essential to not only recognize the dominant role of human activities in promoting the growth of mountain vegetation NDVI but also address the impact of climate change on the degradation of vegetation NDVI in plains and platforms. A comprehensive understanding of these factors is crucial for devising effective strategies to ensure sustainable development and ecological balance in the Han River Basin.

In the context of rapid urbanization, urban population differentiation has become increasingly pronounced. Regional development strategies based on growth scenarios often lead to continuous expansion, regardless of urban population status. Such “one-size-fits-all” models exacerbate resource waste and negatively impact urban land use efficiency (ULUE). This study aims to explore the mechanisms by which urban population growth and shrinkage (UPGS) affect ULUE, with the goal of enhancing ULUE and promoting sustainable urban development. We analyzed 34 prefecture-level cities in China’s three northeastern provinces. First, we identified UPGS using population data. We then employed a three-stage SBM-DEA model to measure ULUE from 2000 to 2020. Spatial analysis methods were used to examine the spatiotemporal characteristics and correlations between UPGS and ULUE. Additionally, mediating effect models and spatial Durbin models were utilized to empirically test the impact processes, mechanisms, and spatial heterogeneity. Our findings reveal that: (1) Over the past 20 years, urban population shrinkage in northeastern China has intensified, and significant regional disparities in urban development are evident. (2) Population growth positively influences ULUE, while population shrinkage inhibits its improvement. (3) Economic development, technological innovation, and industrial structure upgrading are key factors in enhancing ULUE in this region, while the impact of public services on ULUE varies significantly at different stages of urban development. (4) Economic development, technological innovation, and industrial structure upgrading exhibit spatial spillover effects, whereas public services are constrained by regional limitations, resulting in minimal spatial spillover effects. To foster coordinated regional development, this study proposes policy recommendations, including strengthening support for resource-dependent cities, optimizing the allocation of public resources, and promoting technological innovation and industrial diversification.

Increasing air pollution, rising carbon emissions, and urban shrinkage pose significant challenges for sustainable urban development in China. Exploring the relationship between urban shrinkage and the synergy effect of pollution reduction and carbon mitigation (SPRCR) can contribute to systematically addressing the challenges of urban green development. However, few studies have analyzed all three factors within a unified analytical framework. Therefore, our study takes 288 cities at the prefecture level and above in China as the research objects and endeavors to apply the Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD), Multi-scale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR), and Geodetector (v2.1.0) to analyze the influence of urban shrinkage on SPRCR. From our analysis, it was demonstrated that (1) in general, urban shrinkage can inhibit an improvement in the synergistic degree of SPRCR, but the degree of inhibition is weak. (2) The relationship between urban shrinkage and this synergy shows spatial heterogeneity, with the negative impact of urban shrinkage on SPRCR mainly concentrated in the northeast region. (3) The interaction effect between urban shrinkage and construction land expansion is more significant than that between urban shrinkage and other factors, and the enhancement effect is most obvious. Given the regional differences in urban development, our study provides valuable insights for promoting sustainable urban development.

Climate change has become a major worldwide problem, and land use/cover change has consistently played a crucial role in impacting the carbon cycle within terrestrial ecosystems. Territorial spatial planning stands as a relatively good policy option for the low-carbon model. The spatial correlation between carbon emissions and land use was established through environmental parameters in this paper. The territorial spatial structures in 2035 and 2060 under two scenarios of natural evolution and low-carbon development were simulated through the PLUS model. The results indicate that the spatial pattern of decreasing carbon emissions centered on towns, cities, mines, and industries is related to regional economic development, the distribution of forests, and the urban ecological environment. The implementation of territorial spatial planning aids in achieving carbon neutrality, whereas the low-carbon development scenario is more focused on it, which can provide ideas for territorial spatial planning adjustments. Both scenarios result in a large area of fallow land, indicating some conflict between farmland protection and low-carbon development. Optimizing management measures, energy structure, and industrial layout and strengthening regional coordination are key to promoting low-carbon development. This study might be useful in formulating regional carbon-neutral policies and improving territorial spatial planning.

Comprehensive land prices for expropriation zones can effectively alleviate many conflicts in China’s land expropriation practices. This contributes to achieving sustainable development goals such as “SDG-10: Reduced Inequalities” and “ SDG-11: Sustainable Cities and Communities”. The reasonable delineation of expropriation zones and scientific calculation of zone prices have become crucial. This study used the Cangzhou urban area in Hebei Province, China, as a case study. By integrating the CA–Markov model, multiple linear regression model, coupling coordination degree model, relative development degree model, and GIS spatial analysis techniques, the study deeply analyzed the spatiotemporal coupling relationship between land use and comprehensive land prices for expropriation zones from 2009 to 2021. Furthermore, it simulated and forecasted the changes in land use, expropriation zones, and zone prices in 2027. The study yielded the following conclusions: (1) The changes in land use reflected land economic value, land resource condition and land location condition shifts, which formed an interactive feedback mechanism with the comprehensive land price for land expropriation zones. (2) Land use impacted zone distribution through the spatial distribution characteristics of construction land, with recent development zones in the central urban area primarily extending east and southeast due to planning and policies related to land use for construction. (3) The coupling coordination and relative developmental degree between land use degree and zone price gradually develop in a good direction. A linear relationship is observed among land economic value, land resource condition, and land location condition concerning the zone price. Based on this, the predicted adjustment ranges for zone prices from high to low in 2027 will be 2.6400 to 2.7210, 2.1900 to 2.2537, and 1.8300 to 1.9306 million CNY/hectare. This study provides a new method for studying comprehensive land prices for expropriation zones, supporting decision making.