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Journal of Resources and Ecology >

2024 , Vol. 15 >Issue 5: 1251 - 1262

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2024.05.013

Impact of Human Activities on Ecosystem

Coupling Coordination Relationship between Ecological Human Settlements and the Happiness Levels of Residents in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

  • FAN Hua , 1 ,
  • ZHAO Cuiwei , 1, 2, *
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  • 1. School of Geographic and Environmental Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, China
  • 2. Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Environment Protection and Resource Utilization in Karst Mountain Area, Guiyang 550025, China
* ZHAO Cuiwei, E-mail:

FAN Hua, E-mail:

Received date: 2023-10-16

  Accepted date: 2024-03-10

  Online published: 2024-10-09

Supported by

The Major Research Plan of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41471032)

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Abstract

Promoting the coordinated development of ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents will help to promote people-centered high-quality development. This study was based on the 2011-2021 data of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, and constructed an evaluation index system of ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents. The entropy value method, coupling coordination degree model, Dagum Gini coefficient and Geodetector model were used to explore the coupling coordination relationship and influencing factors of these two systems. The findings indicate that ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration have shown an upward trend over time. By 2021, the overall level of the region had significantly improved. The coupling coordination level between these two systems has gradually increased, showing a spatial distribution pattern of high in the east and low in the west. The Dagum Gini coefficient shows a fluctuating downward trend in the overall and intra-regional differences, with the largest inter-regional difference between Shanghai and Anhui, and the inter-regional difference is the main source of the spatial differences. Economic development level (Eco) was the main factor influencing the coupling coordination of the two systems from 2011 to 2021. The results of this study provide references for constructing ecological human settlements and enhancing the happiness levels of residents.

Key words： ecological human settlements; happiness levels of residents; coupling coordination; Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration

Cite this article

FAN Hua , ZHAO Cuiwei . Coupling Coordination Relationship between Ecological Human Settlements and the Happiness Levels of Residents in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration[J]. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 2024 , 15(5) : 1251 -1262 . DOI: 10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2024.05.013

1 Introduction

Since the reform and opening up, continuous advancements in urbanization and industrialization have led to drastic and profound changes in the Chinese economy and society. On the one hand, capital and labor agglomeration have improved production efficiency and promoted rapid economic development (Li and Yang, 2015). On the other hand, irrational resource utilization and crude development patterns have led to environmental pollution, the destruction of ecosystems, and the intensification of human-land conflicts, which have also led to a lower level of happiness among residents to a certain extent (Ding et al., 2022; Liu et al., 2023). Entering the new era, with the transformation of this major contradiction in society, the interaction between human settlements and people’s well-being has aroused widespread concern (Zhan et al., 2023). As an important part of the human settlements, the ecological human settlements not only affect the sustainable development of society, but also directly relate to people’s health and quality of life (Zhang et al., 2023), so improving the overall quality of the ecological human settlements is of great importance. Against this background, the report of the China government has highlighted that respecting, adapting to, and protecting nature are inherent requirements for the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country. That report also called for upgrading the level of environmental infrastructure and promoting the improvement of urban and rural human settlements. Therefore, an accurate understanding of the relationship between ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents is the key to improving the quality of ecological human settlements and an inevitable requirement for enhancing the level of happiness of the residents.
Happiness is the ultimate goal of social progress and economic development (Ma and Lv, 2020), and promoting the improvement of ecological human settlements and enhancing the level of residents’ happiness have long been important topics in the multidisciplinary fields of economics, geography, sociology, and management. Regarding research on ecological human settlements, scholars have carried out quantitative evaluations using methods such as hierarchical analysis and weighted summation models, and proposed optimization strategies for the different characteristics of urban and rural ecological human settlements (Han et al., 2009; Xi and Zhu, 2023). Regarding the study of happiness levels of residents, scholars have constructed a system of indicators and carried out empirical studies from the material, spiritual, social and economic aspects, with a view to providing references for improving the happiness levels of residents (Gao and Fei, 2019; Ma and Lv, 2020; Ma and Hu, 2022; Ma and Chen, 2023). Research addressing the relationship between these two systems has become the focus of much scholarly attention. Internationally, studies have shown that there are strong relationships between urban public green space, air pollution, and climate and the residents' sense of well-being (Cuñado and De Gracia, 2013; Ambrey and Fleming, 2014; Su et al., 2022). Domestic scholars have also conducted much research on this issue, and found that an appropriate temperature can promote residents' happiness, while air pollution is not conducive to residents' happiness (Su et al., 2024). In addition, the comfort of the urban natural environment and the health of the environment play an important role in supporting the happiness levels of residents (Dang and Zhou, 2016), while allowing environmental pollution to go unchecked will have a serious negative impact on the happiness levels of residents (Ma et al., 2022). Overall, the relationship between ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents is relatively complex, and scholars have carried out many studies on this issue and achieved fruitful results. However, the current research mainly focuses on the impact of ecological human settlements on the happiness levels of residents, and there are relatively few studies on the coupling coordination relationship between these two systems and their influencing factors.
As two complex systems, ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents affect each other and promote each other, so investigating the coupling coordinated relationship between the two systems is of great significance. On the one hand, rapid urbanization has led to the growing prominence of “urban diseases”, and the improvement of ecological human settlements can provide urban residents with ecological services and ecological products, allowing them to return to nature and release pressure, thereby effectively realizing the integration of residents’ daily lives with the natural environment. On the other hand, the construction of ecological human settlements is both dependent on and serves the residents. Therefore, with the deepening of urbanization, enhancing the happiness levels of residents will make them aspire to a high-quality lifestyle that is green, healthy, low-carbon and environmentally friendly, which will in turn force the ecological human settlements to develop in a healthy and sustainable direction. Therefore, this study evaluated ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents, and analyzed their coupling coordination relationship and influencing factors. The results can provide a reference for the improvement of ecological human settlements and the enhancement of people's quality of life.

2 Study area and methods

2.1 Scope of the study

The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration is strategically located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It is an important intersection of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Belt and Road, which encompasses 26 prefectural-level cities and above in Shanghai, Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu, with a total area of 2.117×105 km2 (Dong et al., 2023). As one of the most economically developed and livable regions in China, with its superior natural conditions and high level of urbanization, it is a model for the construction level of domestic human settlements (Zhan et al., 2023). However, in the process of its rapid development, there are also real problems such as high intensities of resource and energy consumption and pollutant emissions, and acute conflicts between people and the land, so promoting the harmonization of ecological protection and the lives of residents is urgently needed.

2.2 Construction of the indicator system

Constructing a scientific, concise, and operable indicator system is a prerequisite for evaluation. This study referred to relevant published research results to construct the evaluation index system of the two systems (Han et al., 2009; Ma and Lv, 2020; Xi and Zhu, 2023; Zhang et al., 2023). Regarding ecological human settlements, first, this study emphasizes the ecological construction of the human settlements. The ecological background can reflect the regional ecological resource endowment, so a good ecological background is the basis for ensuring the harmonious development of human beings and nature, which is reflected through the greening situation, industrial pollution and water resources. Secondly, rational planning of the ecological space to address the environmental pollution and damage brought about by urbanization and development will help to meet the requirements of sustainable development, as reflected in sewage and domestic waste treatment capacity, infrastructure development and population density. Furthermore, the construction of ecological human settlements cannot be separated from the necessary economic support conditions, so the level of economic development and its ecological benefit have an important impact on the construction system and scale of regional ecological human settlements, which is reflected in the level of economic development and the development of the ecological economy. Regarding the happiness levels of residents, the indicator system was constructed using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory, which divides human needs into five categories: physiological, safety, love and belonging, respect and self-actualization (Table 1; Tian, 2020). Of these, survival needs and security needs are the most basic needs. The former is necessary for sustaining survival and is mainly closely related to the material living conditions of residents’ daily lives, while the latter emphasizes the sense of security that residents are able to obtain in their lives, which is reflected through medical conditions and the extent of residents' insurance coverage. Love and belonging needs, also known as social needs (Li et al., 2022), refer to mutual communication and emotional interaction between people, which are reflected in residents’ daily leisure and recreation, ease of social interaction, social harmony and equity. Respect needs include both internal and external respect, and residents hope that their abilities and achievements will be recognized by the society, so they are reflected by the harmony of the family and the cultural quality of the residents. Self-actualization needs, namely the realization of personal ideals, aspirations, and values, manifest as spiritual needs, which are reflected in the city’s innovative vitality and the quality of life of its residents.
Table 1 Indicator system of ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents
System Primary indicators Secondary indicators Attribute
Ecological human settlements Ecological background Green space per capita in parks (m² person‒1) +
Industrial fume (dust) emissions per capita (t person‒1) ‒
Industrial SO2 emissions per capita (t person‒1) ‒
Greening coverage in built-up areas (%) +
Water resources per capita (m3 person‒1) +
Social foundation Non-hazardous treatment rate of domestic waste (%) +
Public toilets per 10000 population (seats) +
Sewage treatment rate (%) +
Density of drainage pipes in built-up areas (km km-2) +
Population density (persons km-2) ‒
Economic support Average GDP of land (10000 yuan km-2) +
Domestic tourism revenue (10000 yuan) +
Percentage of tertiary sector value added (%) +
Percentage of employees in the tertiary sector (%) +
Happiness levels of residents Materialistic life Water supply coverage rate (%) +
Gas supply coverage rate (%) +
Retail sales of social consumer goods per capita (yuan person‒1) +
Urban per capita disposable income (yuan) +
Safety Number of hospitals per 10000 population (number) +
Number of hospital beds per 10000 population (beds) +
Number of urban workers enrolled in basic pension insurance (persons) +
Number of urban basic medical insurance participants (persons) +
Interrelationship needs Library holdings per 10000 population (items) +
Number of domestic tourists (10000 person-times) +
Number of libraries per 10000 population (units) +
Ratio of disposable income between urban and rural areas ‒
Number of cell phone subscribers at the end of the year (10000 households) +
Respect for needs Percentage of students enrolled in general higher education (%) +
Number of divorces (10000 pairs) ‒
Development needs Number of patents granted per 10000 persons (number) +
Science and technology expenditures as a percentage (%) +
Urban registered unemployment rate (%) ‒
Average wage of employees (yuan) +

2.3 Research methodology

2.3.1 Data standardization

Before conducting the evaluation, it was necessary to standardize the indexes due to the variability among the different indexes. The following methods were used to standardize them:
Positive indicators:
X i j = x i j − x min x max − x min
Negative indicators:
X i j = x max − x i j x max − x min
where i represents the city; j represents the evaluation index; xij represents the value of the j-th index for the i-th city before standardization; Xij represents the value of the j-th index for the i-th city after standardization; and xmax and xmin represent the maximum and minimum values of the j-th index, respectively.

2.3.2 Entropy value method

The entropy value method is an objective method of empowerment, which can reduce the subjective influences of human factors. The indicators are first standardized, and the scores of each system are then obtained based on multiplying the standardized values by the weights of each indicator (Ni et al., 2023). Its calculation formula is:
U i = ∑ ​ j = 1 k X i j w j
where Ui represents the comprehensive development level of ecological human settlements or happiness levels of residents; and wj represents the weight of the j-th indicator. The composite indicator value takes the range of [0,1]. The closer the value is to 1, the higher the level of ecological human settlements or happiness levels of residents in the region, and the closer the value is to 0, the lower the level of ecological human settlements or happiness levels of residents in the region.

2.3.3 Coupling coordination degree model

The concept of coupling coordination is derived from physics, and it is used to examine the interactions and coordination among systems. In this context, it was used to calculate the coupling coordination status of the two systems, namely the ecological human settlements and happiness levels of residents (Xu et al., 2023). Its calculation formulas are:
C = 2 U 1 × U 2 U 1 + U 2
D = C × T
T = α U 1 + β U 2
where C represents the coupling degree, with a value range of [0,1]; U1 and U2 represent the ecological human settlement index and happiness level of residents index, respectively; D represents the coupling coordination degree, with a value range of [0,1]; and T represents the comprehensive coordination index of the two systems. In this study, ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents are treated as equally important, so the undetermined coefficients for both systems were set to 0.5 (Table 2).
Table 2 Types of coupling coordination
D (0, 0.1] (0.1, 0.2] (0.2, 0.3] (0.3, 0.4] (0.4, 0.5] (0.5, 0.6] (0.6, 0.7] (0.7, 0.8] (0.8, 0.9] (0.9, 1.0]
Stage Extreme
dissonance		 Severe
dissonance		 Moderate dissonance Mild
dissonance		 Near
dissonance		 Minimal coordination Primary
coordination		 Intermediate coordination Good
coordination		 Excellent coordination

2.3.4 The Dagum Gini coefficient

This study employed the Dagum Gini coefficient to analyze overall differences, intra-regional differences, inter-regional differences, and hypervariable density (Liu et al., 2023). According to the needs of this study, the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration was divided into four regions, namely Shanghai, Anhui, Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Its calculation formula is:
G = ∑ ​ j = 1 k ∑ ​ h = 1 k ∑ ​ i = 1 n j ∑ ​ r = 1 n h y j i − y h r 2 n 2 u
where G represents the overall Gini coefficient; yji(yhr) represents the coupling coordination degree of city i(r) in region j(h); u is the mean value of coupling coordination; n is the number of cities; and k is the number of regions.

2.3.5 Geodetector

In order to explore the factors influencing the coupling coordinated relationship between ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents, this study used the Geodetector model to identify them (Wang and Xu, 2017). Its calculation formula is:
q = 1 − 1 n σ 2 ∑ ​ h = 1 L n h σ h 2
where q represents the degree of explanation of the coupling coordination relationship between the two systems of an influencing factor, with a value range of [0,1], and a higher value represents stronger explanatory power, while a lower value represents weaker explanatory power; σh2 and σ²represent the variance of Y value in the layer h and the entire region, respectively; and nh and n represent the number of units of the layer h and the entire region, respectively.

2.4 Data sources

The socio-economic data used in this study mainly came from the EPS database, the China Economic and Social Big Data Research Platform, CEInet Statistical Database, the corresponding years of the China Statistical Yearbook of Regional Economy, China Statistical Yearbook of Cities, China Statistical Yearbook of Urban Construction, Shanghai Statistical Yearbook, Jiangsu Statistical Yearbook, Zhejiang Statistical Yearbook, Anhui Statistical Yearbook, and the Statistical Yearbooks of prefecture level cities, Government websites, and the Statistical Bulletin on National Economic and Social Development. Some of the missing data were filled in, mainly through interpolation.

3 Results and analysis

3.1 Composite index analysis

Based on the above research methodology, the average values for the comprehensive index of ecological human settlements and happiness levels of residents in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration from 2011 to 2021 were calculated (Fig. 1). The ecological human settlements of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration and happiness levels of residents as a whole show a clear upward trend. In particular, the ecological human settlement index rose from 0.218 in 2011 to 0.317 in 2021, and the happiness level of residents index increased from 0.150 in 2011 to 0.303 in 2021. Of these two, the happiness levels of residents remained at a lower level of development, always lagging somewhat behind the ecological human settlements. However, with the rapid development of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, the infrastructure has been gradually improving. In recent years, the happiness levels of residents also realized a large increase, and from the perspective of development trends, it is expected to approach and surpass the level of ecological human settlement development in the future. The coefficient of variation of ecological human settlements declined from 0.294 in 2011 to 0.278 in 2021, with large fluctuations throughout this period, and the coefficient of variation of the happiness levels of residents declined from 0.510 in 2011 to 0.368 in 2021, with a clear downward trend. Unlike the ecological human settlements, the coefficient of variation of the happiness levels of residents was maintained at a high level, with large differences between regions.
Fig. 1 Overall score and coupling coordination degree
To clarify the spatio-temporal differences in the index values of these two systems, the index values were classified into five categories based on their values in 2021, namely, lower-value area, low-value area, medium-value area, high-value area, and higher-value area, using the natural discontinuity method. Due to space limitations, the three years of 2011, 2016 and 2021, were selected for visualization analysis by the equidistant method (Figs. 2 and 3).
Fig. 2 Spatial and temporal patterns of ecological human settlements
Fig. 3 Spatial and temporal patterns of the happiness levels of residents
In terms of ecological human settlements, there were significant regional differences, with the overall situation evolving from one dominated by lower-value areas at the beginning to one dominated by high-value areas at the end. Furthermore, the east was better than the west and the south was better than the north, and the overall development trend was good. In 2011, the overall level of the region was low, with no higher-value areas. There were 19 cities with lower-value areas, accounting for as much as 73.08% of the total, and three clump-like distributions formed in the north, west and south. Compared to the others, most of these cities are far from the regional core cities, have unfavorable geographical locations, and experience slow development due to the lack of a significant radiation influence. However, with the in-depth implementation of the specialized urban human settlement management action, the quality and reputations of the cities are constantly improving (Peng et al., 2023), and the ecological human settlements are also gradually improving. By 2016, the ecological human settlements of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration had improved significantly, with a total of 10 cities in the high- value area and above, accounting for 38.46% of the total. The number of lower-value areas decreased significantly, with only nine remaining. By 2021, the overall progress of regional ecological human settlements were significant, with the number of lower-value areas reduced to four and more than half of the cities in the medium-value area and above. Overall, the ecological human settlements had improved significantly from the initial to the final stage. Shanghai, as a municipality directly under the central government, has great comprehensive strength and has always been at the forefront of the region. In the future, it can strengthen the role of radiation spillover, thus allowing the overall level of the Yangtze River Delta to improve better and faster.
Regarding the happiness levels of residents, its spatial and temporal distribution characteristics are similar to those of the ecological human settlements, with the core cities of the region leading the way, the western part of the country developing slowly, and the cities in the lower-value area being more centralized; but the overall regional level has continued to develop in a positive direction. In 2011, only Shanghai was in the higher-value area in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, and 76.92% of the cities were in the lower-value area, so the overall level was low and there was much room for improvement. By 2016, the regional level had significantly improved, with Hangzhou and Nanjing promoted to the higher-value area, and the neighboring cities in the higher-value area showed a clear trend of progress. This also fully proved that the core cities in the region played an important role in regional development in terms of radiation and leadership. However, it is worth noting that there were still more than a dozen cities in the lower-value area which were developing slowly. With the promulgation and implementation of a series of policies in recent years, such as the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration Development Plan and the Three-Year Action Plan for the Integrated Development of the Yangtze River Delta Region (2018‒2020), the Yangtze River Delta has made great progress in its development, and the happiness levels of residents has improved remarkably. By 2021, the number of cities in the lower-value area had decreased significantly, indicating a notable enhancement in the overall regional level. Overall, Shanghai, as a municipality directly under the central government, boasts great comprehensive strength and has always been at the forefront of the region. Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Hefei have developed well thanks to their provincial capital advantages, while Suzhou, Ningbo, and Wuxi have made significant progress in improving their residents’ happiness levels by enhancing regional infrastructure along with their good economic strength.
Comprehensively, the development trends of ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration are good, showing a pattern of regional co-development with the center city as the main city and the cities with strong economic strength as the supplementary cities. At the same time, there are still many slow-developing cities in the western region, which should be the key objects of attention in the future. Therefore, by analyzing the coupling coordination relationship between the two systems with the help of the coupling coordination degree model, the coordination of development between the ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents can be clarified, and the shortcomings of the urban development can be further clarified, which could provide a reference for the future development of the cities.

3.2 Analysis of the degree of coupling coordination

Based on the overall situation (Fig. 1), the coupling coordination degree of the two systems in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration shows a gradual upward trend, rising from the stage of near dissonance to the stage of minimal coordination, realizing the leap from dissonance to coordination. To explore the spatial and temporal variability of the coupling coordination relationship between the ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents, the distributions of the coupling coordination degree in the three years of 2011, 2016, and 2021 were plotted (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4 Spatial and temporal patterns of the degrees of coupling coordination
In terms of the coupling coordination degree, the coupling coordination development of each city in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration continued to be good, with significant spatial differences and obvious changes and presenting spatial distribution characteristics of high in the east and low in the west. In terms of time periods, the overall level of coupling coordination was not high in 2011, and regional imbalance was clearly evident. Among them, the mild dissonance type had the largest number of cities, accounting for 46.15% of the total, and formed three major plate-like distributions in the south, north and west. The remaining types of cities were fewer in number and fragmented in spatial distribution. By 2016, the coupling coordination had improved significantly, with the moderate dissonance cities disappearing, and near dissonance cities became the dominant type in the region, accounting for 65.38% of the total. Cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou took the lead in reaching the stage of primary coordination and above, and mild dissonance and minimal coordination cities presented sporadic dispersal. By 2021, regional coupling coordination had significantly improved, with the minimal coordination stage becoming the main type in the region. Shanghai reached the good coordination stage and became a regional leader, and a handful of cities in the north and west remained in the near dissonance stage and still need further enhancement of coordination. In addition, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi and Hangzhou have reached the stage of primary coordination and played a certain role in driving radiation. Comprehensively, the coupling coordination of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration presents two main characteristics. 1) The coordinated development of the regional center city is better and continues to play a radiating role, driving the common development of other cities. 2) Due to the combined effects of various factors, the Yangtze River Delta as a whole shows a development trend in which the eastern part is developing faster than the western part and the southern part is better than the northern part. However, in general, the degree of coupling coordination between the two systems has improved considerably over time, and the overall trend has continued to be positive.

3.3 Analysis of regional differences

To further explore the level of regional differences in the coupling coordination degree of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration and the sources of such differences, it was measured by the Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition method. In terms of the overall Gini coefficient (Fig. 5), its value ranged from 0.068 to 0.091, with a mean value of 0.080. Except for a slight increase in some years, the overall Gini coefficient in the study period showed a clear downward trend in general, from 0.091 in 2011 to 0.069 in 2021, which indicates that there was a gradual narrowing of the differences between different cities. This shows that with the gradual progress of the integration process in the Yangtze River Delta, the mutual collaboration and division of labor between the regions had been enhanced, coupled with the radiation effect of the central city, so that a balanced pattern of regional development gradually appeared.
Fig. 5 Overall and intra-regional Gini coefficients

3.3.1 Intra-regional differences

As shown in Fig. 5, from the perspective of the trend of changes in regional differences, Jiangsu had the largest intra-regional differences, with obvious fluctuations, but the differences were dominated by a downward trend from 0.083 in 2011 to 0.070 in 2021. It basically remained stable from 2011 to 2013, and the upward and downward trends appeared intertwined from 2014 to 2021, but the magnitude of change and trend were not obvious. In Zhejiang, the downward trend was obvious, with values of 0.059 in 2011 and 0.042 in 2021, and obvious fluctuating downward trends occurred during the study period. Anhui showed three decreases and three increases in the study period, with the overall trend dominated by a downward trend from 0.063 in 2011 to 0.040 in 2021. Furthermore, the sizes of the differences in each region showed more obvious differences, with the mean values ranked as Jiangsu > Zhejiang > Anhui. Compared with the overall Gini coefficient, although the trends of the differences in the three regions have different characteristics, from the point of view of the mean values, there was no situation greater than the overall Gini coefficient during the study period.

3.3.2 Inter-regional differences

As shown in Fig. 6, the differences between regions were relatively stable, with no significant changes, and all showed a general trend of decrease, indicating a harmonization between the regions. Individually, the differences between Shanghai and the other regions are significantly higher than those between the remaining regions, with larger inter-regional differences between the pairs of Shanghai-Anhui, Shanghai-Jiangsu, and Shanghai-Zhejiang. Of these three, the Shanghai-Anhui difference is the largest, with a mean value of 0.245, while the differences between Shanghai and the other two regions of Zhejiang and Jiangsu are relatively small. This may be due to the fact that Shanghai, as one of the municipalities directly under the central government in China, is the benchmark of the entire Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. With great comprehensive strength, it is always at the forefront of the region in terms of development level. Comparatively speaking, Anhui has the weakest developmental strength in the entire Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, and its potentials are yet to be further developed, so it has the largest difference between the two. In addition, the differences between Anhui-Jiangsu, Anhui-Zhejiang, and Jiangsu-Zhejiang are smaller and relatively similar, and all show downward trends overall.
Fig. 6 Inter-regional Gini coefficients

3.3.3 Differential contribution rates

As shown in Fig. 7, the average inter-regional contribution was 53.75%, the average intra-regional contribution was 22.13%, and the average hypervariable density contribution was 24.12% during the study period. Overall, inter-regional contributions are consistently higher than intra-regional and hypervariable density contributions, suggesting that the main source of differences in coupling coordination is region-to-region variation, so there is a need in the future to further promote the development of regional integration and to strengthen the coordination and cooperation among different regions. From the beginning to the end of the study period, the inter-regional contribution rate had a tendency to decrease over the years, from 53.91% in 2011 to 43.92% in 2021, which shows that the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta has been effective at improving inter-regional differences to some degree.
Fig. 7 Sources of regional differences and their contribution

3.4 Analysis of influencing factors

3.4.1 Selection of influencing factors

According to a previous study, the coupling coordination level between the ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents shows significant spatial non-equilibrium and variability in different years and regions. Therefore, clarifying the degrees of influence of different factors on the coupling coordination level is of great guiding significance for improving the ecological human settlements and enhancing the happiness levels of residents, as well as promoting the coordinated development of these two systems. In this study, the degree of coupling coordination was taken as the dependent variable, and the independent variables were selected from various aspects, such as economic development level (Eco), industrial structure (Ind), governmental regulation ability (Gov), scientific and technological innovation investment (Tec), cultural and educational investment (Edu), and the level of opening up to the outside world (Ope), see Table 3.
Table 3 Indicator system for factors influencing the coupling coordination
Variable type Variable name Variable meaning Acronym
Dependent variable Degree of coupling coordination Coupling coordination degree calculated by the model D
Independent
variable		 GDP per capita Economic development level Eco
Value added of secondary and tertiary industries as a share of GDP Industrial structure Ind
Per capita financial expenditure Governmental regulation ability Gov
Scientific expenditure Scientific and technological innovation investment Tec
Education expenditure Cultural and educational investment Edu
Per capita real foreign capital utilization Level of opening up to the outside world Ope

3.4.2 Driving factor analysis

The Geodetector model was used to calculate the q-value for the influence of each factor for the three years of 2011, 2016 and 2021. In different years, each factor had different degrees of influence, and in terms of the average values, the range of the order of magnitude is: Eco>Ind>Gov>Edu> Tec>Ope (Fig. 8). Among them, economic development level (Eco) and industrial structure (Ind) had greater influences on the coupling coordination of the two systems and played a dominant role, while the rest of the factors also played an important role. In general, they can be summarized as the six drivers of the coupling coordination of the ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents during the study period.
Economics. The construction of ecological human settlements and the improvement of the happiness levels of residents are closely related to economic development. A good level of economic development can provide the necessary financial support for the improvement of the ecological environment, promote pollution control and realize ecological restoration. At the same time, it can also provide a stronger material foundation to improve people's quality of life. From the detection results, the q-value of the influence of the economic development level (Eco) was always above 0.750, maintaining a high level throughout the study period, which indicates that emphasizing the economic development level and dealing with the relationship between economic development, ecological human settlements and peoples’ lives can better promote the coordinated development of the two systems.
Industry. There were significant differences in the impacts of different industrial structures on ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents. High-pollution and high-energy-consumption industries will inevitably have serious impacts on air, water and soil quality, which in turn affects the living environment and quality of life of the residents. Therefore, actively promoting the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure is conducive to the coupling coordinated development of the two systems. From the detection results, the mean q-value of the influence of industrial structure (Ind) was second only to the level of economic development (Eco). Over the three sample years, it exhibits an inverted “V” shape trend, first increasing and then decreasing, with a minimum of 0.693 and a maximum of 0.741.
Government regulation. The government’s investment in the ecological environment, urban greening, public infrastructure and livelihood protection can directly promote the improvement of ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents. From the detection results, the government’s ability to regulate (Gov) has an important influence in promoting the coordinated development of the two systems, and the q-value of its influence shows a decreasing situation year by year, but the absolute value remained high. As the “tangible hand”, it has an important role that cannot be ignored.
Education. A greater investment in education is more conducive to enhancing people’s awareness of environmental protection, cultivating more talents in the field of environmental protection, and enhancing people’s awareness of the protection of the living environment. At the same time, more people will receive higher education, which is more conducive to enhancing people’s comprehensive quality and personal ability, enriching people’s spiritual world, and thus enhancing the happiness levels of residents. From the detection results, the q-value of the influence of cultural and educational investment (Edu) climbed year by year, from 0.590 in 2011 to 0.749 in 2021, an increase of 0.159. This fully indicates that education has an increasingly important role in the coordinated development of the two systems.
Science and technology. Science and technology have far-reaching and wide-ranging impacts on the two systems, and with the development of science and technology, the level of environmental protection technology and artificial intelligence will also be improved, which will in turn promote the development of all aspects of ecology, economy and society. From the detection results, compared with other factors, the q-value of science and technology innovation input (Tec) was not very high, and even decreased in 2016 compared with 2011. However, with the development of society, science and technology will also play a more critical role in the coordinated development of ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents.
Level of openness. The level of openness to the outside world affects the level of communication and cooperation between different countries or regions, and enhanced communication can promote the sharing of advanced technology, common economic development, and mutual cultural exchanges, and complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, thereby enhancing the peoples’ sense of well-being. From the results of the survey, the q-value of openness to the outside world (Ope) was not high and had a decreasing trend. This may be due to the fact that the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration is one of the most developed regions in China, and with the passage of time, its technology has become more mature in many aspects, which has gradually broken the monopoly of foreign countries, so that openness to the outside world is no longer a dominant factor.

4 Discussion and conclusions

4.1 Discussion

Based on the findings above, several recommendations are suggested with the objective of promoting the coordinated development of ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents.
First, regarding the region as a whole, the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta has been vigorously promoted to fully strengthen the division of labor and collaborative capacity of the region, and to form a pattern of staggered competition and multi-party development. On the one hand, this leads to respecting nature and adapting to it, increasing investment in the construction of human settlements, improving pollution prevention and control systems, elevating the level of the intensive and economical utilization of resources, and improving the quality of the environment in urban agglomerations. On the other hand, urban planning should be improved and the coordination activities of the government should be fully utilized to create a safe, healthy, environmentally-friendly, and livable city, and to enhance the happiness of its residents.
Secondly, regional differences need to be addressed. First, regarding the ecological human settlements, the concept of green development has been established, investment in the construction of ecological human settlements has been strengthened, ecological base protection and restoration have been implemented, efforts have been made to improve the ecological quality of cities, ecological protection and publicity have been strengthened, and residents have been guided to raise their awareness of environmental protection. Regarding the level of happiness of residents, urban development planning should be done well, taking into account the development of new areas and the renovation of old cities. In addition, urban infrastructure construction should be strengthened, and the comprehensive development of clothing, food, housing, transportation, food, drink, entertainment, education, medicine and health care should be promoted, so as to enhance the ability of public services and resources to safeguard and improve people's livelihoods. In terms of the coordination of these two systems, the existing development foundation should be used to comprehensively promote the quality and upgrading of facilities related to ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents to meet the personalized needs of the residents’ production, living and ecology. This would allow the meeting of the high quality of life with high-quality development.
Finally, from the perspective of regional collaboration, the high-quality development of central cities should be promoted, including maximizing their leading and spearheading roles in ecological governance, environmental improvement, and infrastructure improvement; and increasing the role of radiation spillover. Non-central cities need to identify their developmental shortcomings, compensate for their disadvantages, and actively integrate into the development of central cities to realize the improvement of regional ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents. In addition, they should narrow the development gap in the region, improve communication and exchange mechanisms between different cities, promote factor flows, optimize the allocation of regional resources, achieve shared development, and promote regional greening and low-carbon development.
With the deepening of people-centered high-quality development, it is of great significance to promote comprehensive human development, and improve people’s quality of life, livelihood and welfare levels (Chen and Xu, 2020). Research on the synergistic development of ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration will contribute to the high-quality integrated development and quality of life there. However, this study has several limitations. First, it is mainly based on objective statistical data and lacks information on the subjective feelings of residents about their happiness levels. Future studies can use other methods, such as interviews, questionnaires, and other forms in exploring the subjective and objective differences in the happiness of residents across time and space. Second, this study mainly elucidated the relationship between ecological human settlements and the happiness levels of residents at a macro scale. Further studies can conduct in-depth examinations at the micro scale, such as villages and communities, which are more relevant to the daily life of residents, to put forward additional guiding significance and practicable recommendations.

4.2 Conclusions

(1) From 2011 to 2021, the ecological human settlements and happiness levels of residents in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration showed a continuing trend of improvement, rising from 0.218 and 0.150 in 2011 to 0.317 and 0.303 in 2021, respectively. In terms of the ecological human settlements, there has been a clear disparity in regional development, in which the eastern part of the region is better than the western part, and the southern part of the region is better than the northern part. Regarding the happiness levels of residents, the core cities of the region are developing well and leading the way with significant characteristics, while the remaining cities are developing relatively slowly, but in general, the level of each region has risen from the beginning to the end of the study period.
(2) Based on the analysis of coupling coordination, the region as a whole has risen from the stage of near dissonance to the stage of minimal coordination, realizing the leap from dissonance to coordination. Sub-regionally, the degree of coupling coordination in the east is generally higher than that in the west. In 2011, it was mainly dominated by mild dissonance cities, accounting for 46.15%; in 2016, the highest number of cities were at the stage of near dissonance, accounting for 65.38%; and by 2021, there was a significant improvement in the regional coupling coordination relationship since the minimal coordination cities had become the main type.
(3) The regional differences in the coupling coordination of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration showed a decreasing trend, with the overall Gini coefficient decreasing from 0.091 in 2011 to 0.069 in 2021. The intra-regional differences in Jiangsu and Anhui are the largest and the smallest, respectively, and the inter-regional differences are mainly manifested in the fact that the differences between Shanghai and the other regions are significantly greater than the differences between the other regions. Inter-regional differences are the main source of coupling coordination differences, while the trend of inter-regional differences has decreased as the integration process of the Yangtze River Delta has advanced. In terms of influencing factors, the level of coupling coordination is the result of a combination of factors, among which economic development level (Eco) is the main driving factor, while the industrial structure (Ind) and the government's ability to regulate (Gov) also have greater impacts than other factors.

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