Transformations in Urban Human Settlements Within China’s Sustainable Development Innovation Demonstration Zones: A Case Study of Chenzhou City, Hunan Province, During Rapid Urbanization

Abstract

The quality of urban human settlements (UHSs) directly affects the city’s livability and the well-being of its residents. Scientific monitoring and assessment of UHSs, their progress toward sustainable development, and impacts they experience from rapid urbanization can accelerate the implementation of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the field of human settlements. This study focuses on Chenzhou City, an innovation demonstration zone for China’s Sustainable Development Agenda. It develops a sustainable development evaluation index based on SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and other relevant SDGs, with the objectives of residential stability, facilitated mobility, safety of residents, comfortable environment, and low-carbon development. The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) methodology was utilized to assess the progress of sustainable development in Chenzhou City from 2015 to 2022, focusing on the evaluation of UHS indicators, targets, and sustainable development index (SDI) scores. The geographic detector techniques were employed to investigate the impact of new urbanization on the UHSs. The analysis found the following: (1) After the demonstration zone was established (2019–2022), the scores for the five goals and the SDI increased by over 50% compared to the pre-establishment period (2015–2018), with a highly significant difference between the two periods. (2) Among the 35 indicators measured, the proportion of those that reached or nearly reached their targets increased from 57.1% in 2018 to 71.4% in 2022. As of 2022, there has been positive progress toward the goal of residential stability, while efforts toward the other four goals have made some progress but require further acceleration. (3) China’s new urbanization process had a notable impact on the SDI, with most influencing factors positively correlated with the SDI and the interactive effects of population, economic, social, and spatial urbanization factors demonstrate strong explanatory power. The findings provide decision-making support for the sustainable development of the demonstration zone’s UHSs and offer a reference for evaluating the sustainable development of UHSs in similar cities.