The Impact of New Urbanization on Urban Land Green Use Efficiency in the Middle and Lower Yellow River, China: An Analysis Based on Spatial Correlation Networks

Rapid urbanization has posed serious challenges to urban land use, especially in the green and efficient use of land. However, existing research rarely combines new urbanization with urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE), despite its significant importance for promoting regional sustainable development. To fill this gap, this study focused on 60 cities in the middle and lower Yellow River (MLYR) and integrated various methods such as undesired output super-efficiency SBM model, modified gravity model, centrality indexes, random forest, and geographically and temporally weighted regression model. The purpose of this study is to reveal the impact of multi-dimensional new urbanization and its spatial correlation network on ULGUE and the results revealed the following: (1) From 2001 to 2021, ULGUE and multi-dimensional new urbanization levels in the MLYR exhibited a significant upward trend and obvious regional differences. (2) There was a new urbanization spatial correlation network between cities in the MLYR, which was dense in the east and sparse in the west, and the balance of the network was gradually strengthened. Betweenness centrality and degree centrality improved, while closeness centrality declined. (3) The comprehensive system of multi-dimensional new urbanization and its spatial correlation exerted a complex influence on ULGUE. Ecological urbanization showed the strongest positive correlation with ULGUE. In contrast, social urbanization exhibited a relatively prominent negative correlation. This study provides policy recommendations for promoting the balanced development of new urbanization in the MLYR and improving the quality, efficiency, and sustainability of development in the Yellow River Basin, China.