How Sustainable Logistics Emerges From Spatial Constraints: A Nature-Culture Integration Perspective Across China’s River Basins

Logistics industry’s sharp expansion within major river basins has generated acute contradictions between economic development imperatives and ecological protection requirements, with enterprise clustering patterns that often conflict with environmental sustainability goals in sensitive watershed regions. Despite national policies promoting coordinated river basin development, persistent spatial inequalities and ecological pressures from logistics activities highlight urgent challenges in achieving sustainable regional development, which existing research has inadequately addressed. This study investigates the spatiotemporal evolution of Class A logistics enterprises across China’s six major river basins (2005–2023) using GIS spatial analysis, coupled with coordination assessment, and the Optimal Parameter Geographical Detector (OPGD). Results reveal that 68.3% of high-grade enterprises (3A–5A) cluster in plains with an elevation below 500 m, with logistics density increasing by 39.6% within 5 to 10 km buffer zones of water systems. Distinct spatial patterns emerge: the Yangtze River Basin exhibits dual-core axial development (with a density of 42.7/km 2 in the Shanghai-Wuhan corridor), the Pearl River Delta demonstrates port-driven agglomeration, while 53.2% of enterprises in the Yellow River Basin concentrate near energy bases. Factor interaction analysis reveals dual enhancement effects (GDP-foreign investment synergy, q = .68) and nonlinear trade-offs between institutional and environmental factors. The Yangtze and Haihe Basins achieve higher coupling coordination through infrastructure-policy integration, while the Yellow River Basin shows significant imbalances. This study proposes a nature-culture integration analytical framework, providing evidence-based strategies for optimizing logistics spatial patterns while balancing ecological and economic priorities in environmentally sensitive river basin regions.