Comprehensive evaluation of trends in human settlements quality changes and spatial differentiation characteristics of 35 Chinese major cities

TY - JOUR

T1 - Comprehensive evaluation of trends in human settlements quality changes and spatial differentiation characteristics of 35 Chinese major cities

AU - Tang, Lisha

AU - Ruth, Matthias

AU - He, Qingyun

AU - Mirzaee, Sahar

PY - 2017/12

Y1 - 2017/12

N2 - This paper constructs a comprehensive evaluation system of human settlements focusing on housing conditions, urban natural environments, social economy, and public infrastructure. Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analysis are used to analyze and rank the 2003–2013 human settlements index and create five clusters for 35 major cities in China (including municipalities, provincial capitals, and Prefecture-level cities). On the basis of four years of a spatial analysis of the human settlements index, we find that living conditions of 35 Chinese cities have significantly improved; severe air pollution persists in China, with large differences between the north and the south; weak correlation between urban human settlements and the growth rate of economic development; and the infrastructure of China's mega cities is overloaded. The results confirm and quantify growing geographic disparities and deep structural urban challenges that are associated with rapid economic growth and social change, leaving many cities in China to struggle with worsening pollution, excessive demand on existing infrastructures, and housing prices that rise faster than disposable incomes.

AB - This paper constructs a comprehensive evaluation system of human settlements focusing on housing conditions, urban natural environments, social economy, and public infrastructure. Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analysis are used to analyze and rank the 2003–2013 human settlements index and create five clusters for 35 major cities in China (including municipalities, provincial capitals, and Prefecture-level cities). On the basis of four years of a spatial analysis of the human settlements index, we find that living conditions of 35 Chinese cities have significantly improved; severe air pollution persists in China, with large differences between the north and the south; weak correlation between urban human settlements and the growth rate of economic development; and the infrastructure of China's mega cities is overloaded. The results confirm and quantify growing geographic disparities and deep structural urban challenges that are associated with rapid economic growth and social change, leaving many cities in China to struggle with worsening pollution, excessive demand on existing infrastructures, and housing prices that rise faster than disposable incomes.

KW - China

KW - Differentiation characteristics

KW - Economic disparity

KW - Human settlements

KW - Spatial analysis

KW - Urbanization

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85033399318&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.habitatint.2017.10.001

DO - 10.1016/j.habitatint.2017.10.001

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85033399318

VL - 70

SP - 81

EP - 90

JO - Habitat International

JF - Habitat International

SN - 0197-3975

ER -