A New Perspective on the Evaluation of Urbanization Sustainability: Urban Health Examination

Abstract

In recent decades, urbanization around the world has become an unavoidable trend. However, rapid urbanization has brought about a number of “urban diseases” which have considerable influence on sustainable urbanization. In order to diagnose urban problems, this study introduces a new perspective for the evaluation of urbanization sustainability named “urban health examination (UHE)” based on the urban lifeform theory which treats a city as a human body system. Then, an evaluation index system of UHE incorporating eight dimensions is constructed by referring to the existing authoritative indicator systems globally. Furthermore, a deviation maximization method and obstacle analysis method are integrated to evaluate urban development level and diagnose the urban diseases. Finally, in order to verify the feasibility of the UHE methodological framework, an empirical study was conducted in Wuhan, Central China. The results show that (1) the main urban diseases suffered by Wuhan City in 2010–2019 include traffic congestion, waterlogging, unsafe production, insufficient technological power, and excessive urban development; (2) the evolution mechanism of urban diseases in Wuhan has been explored. This study proposes a methodological framework of UHE which can successfully diagnose urban diseases, so that local urban managers adopt tailored strategies to prevent urban diseases and further achieve sustainable urban development goals.