The impact of multidimensional urbanization on sustainable development goals (SDGs): A long-term analysis of the 31 provinces in China

• Urbanization was comprehensively assessed across land, economy, population, and society. • The interplay between multi-dimensional urbanization and SDGs was scrutinized. • We investigated how economic zone configurations alter these interactions. • Effectively achieve SDGs should consider regional conditions and manage urbanizations. Sustainable development, intimately linked to the survival of the global human population, has garnered immense attention. The rapid pace of urbanization has exerted a profound influence on the achievement and progress towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nevertheless, a knowledge gap persists regarding the comprehensive impact of urbanization on these goals. The present study delved into the multifaceted impacts of urbanization on SDGs through a comprehensive analysis of four distinct urbanization dimensions: land urbanization (LURB), economic urbanization (EURB), population urbanization (PURB), and social urbanization (SURB). We analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of the four-dimensional urbanizations in 31 provinces of China from 1995 to 2015 using impervious surface and statistical data. We employed the Spearman coefficient to investigate the interaction between urbanizations and 17 SDGs. Furthermore, we delved into how economic zone settings influenced these interactions. The results reveal that land expansion, GDP per capita, and the degree of social consumption exhibited stronger synergies with SDGs, whereas the share of the secondary sector and the urban population rate demonstrated more trade-off effects. This underscores the importance of considering the multifaceted nature of urbanization when striving to achieve the SDGs. Additionally, the diverse impact of urbanization patterns on SDG implementation across various economic zones emphasizes the need for tailored and region-specific strategies to maximize the positive outcomes of urbanization and promote sustainable development.