Evaluation Methods for the Human–Land Coupling Coordination Relationship in a Metro Station Area: A Case Study of Chengdu Metro Line 1

At present, more than 200 cities in the world have developed metro systems. Under the agglomeration effect of traffic nodes, rapid population agglomeration and land development and utilization have formed around metro stations in cities. However, there is still the problem of uncoordinated development in each station area along the metro, so it is urgent to build an evaluation method of the coupling and coordination relationship between people and land to study the laws of population activities, industrial agglomeration, traffic resources, and other aspects in the metro station area and analyze its rationality and matching. In this study, Chengdu, the central city in the west of China, is selected as an example, and Metro Line 1, which has the longest history and is the most mature development in the city, is taken as an example. Starting from the coupling and coordination relationship between the human activity demand and metro resource supply, the evaluation indicator system of the coupling and coordination relationship between people and land in the station area of Chengdu Metro Line 1 is constructed. By collecting multi-source data, the coupling coordination degree model (CCDM) is used to quantitatively evaluate the human–land coupling coordination relationship in the station area. Then, the gray relational analysis (GRA) combined with the spatial distribution characteristics are used to analyze the characteristics and influencing factors of the coupling and coordination relationship, and it is concluded that the station area of Chengdu Metro Line 1 presents a circular and multi-center coupling and horizontal coordination spatial structure. Among them, the degrees of the population concentration and activity intensity, the levels of economic and industrial development, the level of service support, and the degree of contact with surrounding areas have great influences on the coupling and coordination levels of the station area. Finally, some improvement strategies are put forward, such as optimizing the network layout, building multi-level centers, strengthening functional connections, and enhancing the development intensity. This study provides a new method for the study of the coordinated development of metro station areas and has practical significance for evaluating the construction and development statuses of metro station areas, guiding the planning of metro stations, and formulating regional development strategies of metro stations.