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

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.