Research on the Measurement and Improvement Path of Residents’ Happiness in the Process of Urban Renewal in the Chengdu-Chongqing Area

In the process of urbanization, urban renewal to improve the urban spatial forms and functions in the built-up areas has brought many benefits to the residents, while problems such as environmental pollution and increased living costs also arise together. The Chengdu-Chongqing area, as the economic center of the western region, plays a crucial role in achieving high-quality regional development. The study selected panel data of 16 cities at the prefecture level and above in this district from 2006 to 2021; the level of urban renewal was measured using the entropy method, while the happiness level of residents was measured by the projection pursuit model combined with the particle swarm optimization algorithm. The impact of urban renewal at different quantile points on residents’ happiness was then analyzed using the panel quantile model. It revealed that the level of urban renewal varies significantly across regions, but the overall level continues to improve. The happiness of residents shows the phenomenon of “polarization, from dots to pieces” with an overall upward convergence. The impact of urban renewal on residents’ happiness initially weakened slowly and then bottomed out, turning at the 0.7 quantile and rebounding sharply at the 0.9 quantile, displaying a “V” trend in its action path.