City cluster is an effective platform for encouraging regionally coordinated development.Coordinated reduction of carbon emissions within city cluster via the spatial association network between cities can help coordi...City cluster is an effective platform for encouraging regionally coordinated development.Coordinated reduction of carbon emissions within city cluster via the spatial association network between cities can help coordinate the regional carbon emission management,realize sustainable development,and assist China in achieving the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.This paper applies the improved gravity model and social network analysis(SNA)to the study of spatial correlation of carbon emissions in city clusters and analyzes the structural characteristics of the spatial correlation network of carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)city cluster in China and its influencing factors.The results demonstrate that:1)the spatial association of carbon emissions in the YRD city cluster exhibits a typical and complex multi-threaded network structure.The network association number and density show an upward trend,indicating closer spatial association between cities,but their values remain generally low.Meanwhile,the network hierarchy and network efficiency show a downward trend but remain high.2)The spatial association network of carbon emissions in the YRD city cluster shows an obvious‘core-edge’distribution pattern.The network is centered around Shanghai,Suzhou and Wuxi,all of which play the role of‘bridges’,while cities such as Zhoushan,Ma'anshan,Tongling and other cities characterized by the remote location,single transportation mode or lower economic level are positioned at the edge of the network.3)Geographic proximity,varying levels of economic development,different industrial structures,degrees of urbanization,levels of technological innovation,energy intensities and environmental regulation are important influencing factors on the spatial association of within the YRD city cluster.Finally,policy implications are provided from four aspects:government macro-control and market mechanism guidance,structural characteristics of the‘core-edge’network,reconfiguration and optimization of the spatial layout of the YRD city cluster,and the application of advanced technologies.展开更多
Based on the supply-side perspective,the improved STIRPAT model is applied to reveal the mechanisms of supply-side factors such as human,capital,technology,industrial synergy,institutions and economic growth on carbon...Based on the supply-side perspective,the improved STIRPAT model is applied to reveal the mechanisms of supply-side factors such as human,capital,technology,industrial synergy,institutions and economic growth on carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)through path analysis,and to forecast carbon emissions in the YRD from the baseline scenario,factor regulation scenario and integrated scenario to reach the peak.The results show that:(1)Jiangsu's high carbon emission pattern is the main reason for the YRD hindering the synergistic regulation of carbon emissions.(2)Human factors,institutional factors and economic growth factors can all contribute to carbon emissions in the YRD region,while technological and industrial factors can generally suppress carbon emissions in the YRD region.(3)Under the capital regulation scenario,the YRD region has the highest level of carbon emission synergy,with Jiangsu reaching its peak five years earlier.Under the balanced regulation scenario,the YRD region as a whole,Jiangsu,Zhejiang and Anhui reach the peak as scheduled.展开更多
Based on the panel data of 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2007 to 2018,this paper empirically tests the impact of digital economy development on urban ecological efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta.The re...Based on the panel data of 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2007 to 2018,this paper empirically tests the impact of digital economy development on urban ecological efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta.The results show that the development level of digital economy in Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration is fluctuating and rising;the development of digital economy has a significant positive role in promoting the improvement of urban ecological efficiency;there is significant regional heterogeneity in the promotion of ecological efficiency by digital economy,especially in central cities.展开更多
Effects of elevated O_3 on the yields of rice and winter wheat were studied by using open-top chambers(OTCs). Results showed that compared to the control treatment, 200 ppb, 100 ppb, 50 ppb treatments caused a 80.4%, ...Effects of elevated O_3 on the yields of rice and winter wheat were studied by using open-top chambers(OTCs). Results showed that compared to the control treatment, 200 ppb, 100 ppb, 50 ppb treatments caused a 80.4%, 58.6% and 10.5% decrease in grain yields per winter wheat plant and a 49.1%, 26.1% and 8.2% decrease in grain yield per rice plant, respectively. According to the dose-response relation educed from OTCs experiment and the monitor data of O_3 concentrations in spots, it was estimated that the yield losses of rice and winter wheat resulted by O_3 pollution in the Yangtze River Delta region in 1999 were 0.599 million ton and 0.669 million ton, economic losses were 0.539 billion RMB Yuan and 0.936 billion RMB Yuan, respectively.展开更多
Based on non-radiance-calibrated DMSP/OLS nighttime light imagery from 1992 to 2003, urban land area statistical data, meteorological data and land surface temperature data retrieved by MODIS and NOAA/AVHRR data, the ...Based on non-radiance-calibrated DMSP/OLS nighttime light imagery from 1992 to 2003, urban land area statistical data, meteorological data and land surface temperature data retrieved by MODIS and NOAA/AVHRR data, the influence of urbanization on regional climatic trend cf temperature in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) was analyzed. Conclusions are as follows: 1) There is a significant urbanization process from 1992 to 2003 in the YRD. Four city clusters of Nanjing-Zhenjiang-Yangzhou, Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou Bay form a zigzag city belt. The increase rate of annual mean air temperature in city-belt is 0.28-0.44℃/10a from 1991 to 2005, which is far larger than that of non-city-belt. 2) The urban heat island (UHI) effect on regional mean air temperature in different seasons is summer〉autumn〉spring〉winter. 3) The UHI intensity and the urban total population logarithm are creditably correlated. 4) The UHI effect made the regional annual mean air temperature increased 0.072℃ from 1961 to 2005, of which 0.047℃ from 1991 to 2005, and the annual maximum air temperature increased 0.162℃, of which 0.083℃ from 1991 to 2005. All these indicating that the urban expansion in the YRD from 1991 to 2005 may be regarded as a serious climate signal.展开更多
In this paper, the online weather research and forecasting and chemistry (WRF-Chem) model is used to explore the impacts of urban expansion on regional weather conditions and its implication on surface ozone concent...In this paper, the online weather research and forecasting and chemistry (WRF-Chem) model is used to explore the impacts of urban expansion on regional weather conditions and its implication on surface ozone concentrations over the Pearl River Delta(PRD) and Yangtze River Delta(YRD) regions. Two scenarios of urban maps are used in the WRF-Chem to represent the early 1990s (pre-urbanization) and the current urban distribution in the PRD and the YRD. Month-long simulation results using the above land-use scenarios for March 2001 show that urbanization increases both the day- and night-time 2-m temperatures by about 0.6℃and 1.4℃, respectively. Daytime reduction in the wind speed by about 3.0 m s-1 is larger than that for the nighttime (0.5 to 2 m s-1). The daytime increase in the PBL height (〉 200 m) is also larger than the nighttime (50-100 m). The meteorological conditions modified by urbanization lead to detectable ozone-concentration changes in the PRD and the YRD. Urbanization increases the nighttime surface-ozone concentrations by about 4.7%-8.5% and by about 2.9%-4.2% for the daytime. In addition to modifying individual meteorological variables, urbanization also enhances the convergence zones, especially in the PRD. More importantly, urbanization has different effects on the surface ozone for the PRD and the YRD, presumably due to their urbanization characteristics and geographical locations. Even though the PRD has a smaller increase in the surface temperature than the YRD, it has (a) weaker surface wind speed, (b) smaller increase in PBL heights, and (c) stronger convergence zones. The latter three factors outweighed the temperature increase and resulted in a larger ozone enhancement in the PRD than the YRD.展开更多
In a given district, the accessibility of any point should be the synthetically evaluation of the internal and external accessibilities. Using MapX component and Delphi, the author presents an information system to ca...In a given district, the accessibility of any point should be the synthetically evaluation of the internal and external accessibilities. Using MapX component and Delphi, the author presents an information system to calculate and analyze regional accessibility according to the shortest travel time, generating thus a mark diffusing figure. Based on land traffic network, this paper assesses the present and the future regional accessibilities of sixteen major cities in the Yangtze River Delta. The result shows that the regional accessibility of the Yangtze River Delta presents a fan with Shanghai as its core. The top two most accessible cities are Shanghai and Jiaxing, and the bottom two ones are Taizhou (Zhejiang province) and Nantong With the construction of Sutong Bridge, Hangzhouwan Bridge and Zhoushan Bridge, the regional internal accessibility of all cities will be improved. Especially for Shaoxing, Ningbo and Taizhou (Jiangsu province), the regional internal accessibility will be decreased by one hour, and other cities will be shortened by about 25 minutes averagely. As the construction of Yangkou Harbor in Nantong, the regional external accessibility of the harbor cities in Jiangsu province will be speeded up by about one hour.展开更多
In order to understand the seasonal variation of aerosol optical properties in the Yangtze River Delta,5 years of measurements were conducted during September 2005 to December 2009 at Taihu,China.The monthly averages ...In order to understand the seasonal variation of aerosol optical properties in the Yangtze River Delta,5 years of measurements were conducted during September 2005 to December 2009 at Taihu,China.The monthly averages of aerosol optical depth were commonly 0.6;the maximum seasonal average(0.93) occurred in summer.The magnitude of the Angstr¨om exponent was found to be high throughout the year;the highest values occurred in autumn(1.33) and were the lowest in spring(1.08).The fine modes of volume size distribution showed the maxima(peaks) at a radius of ~0.15 μm in spring,autumn,and winter;at a radius of ~0.22 μm in summer.The coarse modes showed the maxima(peaks) at a radius of 2.9 μm in spring,summer,and autumn and at a radius of 3.8 μm in winter.The averages of single-scattering albedo were 0.92(spring),0.92(summer),0.91(autumn),and 0.88(winter).The averages of asymmetry factor were found to be larger in summer than during other seasons;they were taken as 0.66 at 440-1020 nm over Taihu.The real part of the refractive index showed a weak seasonal variation,with averages of 1.48(spring),1.43(summer),1.45(autumn),and 1.48(winter).The imaginary parts of the refractive index were higher in winter(0.013) than in spring(0.0076),summer(0.0092),and autumn(0.0091),indicating that the atmosphere in the winter had higher absorbtivity.展开更多
The lake-breeze at Taihu Lake generates a different specific heat capacity between the water body and the surrounding land. Taihu Lake has a significant impact on the atmospheric conditions and the air quality in the ...The lake-breeze at Taihu Lake generates a different specific heat capacity between the water body and the surrounding land. Taihu Lake has a significant impact on the atmospheric conditions and the air quality in the Yangtze River Delta. This phenomenon is referred to as the Taihu Lake effect. In this study, two simulations were conducted to determine the impact of the Taihu Lake effect in the reference experiment (R-E) and sensitivity experiments (NO_TH). The control simulations demonstrated that the meteorological field and the spatial distribution of ozone (03) concentrations over Taihu lake obviously changed once the land-use type of water body was substituted by cropland. The surface temperature of Taihu Lake was reduced under the impact of Taihu Lake, and a huge temperature difference caused a strong lake-breeze effect. The results also showed that the difference in the average concentrations of 03 between the R-E and NO_TH experiments reached 12 ppbv in most areas of Taihu Lake, all day, on 20 May 2014. During daytime (0800-1600 LST, LST=UTC+8), the influence of the Taihu Lake effect on 03 in the Suzhou region was not significant. However, the influence of the Taihu Lake effect on 03 in the Suzhou region was obvious during nighttime (1800-2400 LST). The larger changes in the physical and chemical processes were horizontal and vertical advections under the influence of the Taihu Lake effect in Taihu Lake.展开更多
As an important step enhancing regional innovation, researches on collaborative innovation have attracted much more attention recently. One significant reason is that cities can get excessive benefits while they take ...As an important step enhancing regional innovation, researches on collaborative innovation have attracted much more attention recently. One significant reason is that cities can get excessive benefits while they take collaborative innovation activities. Based on the theories of innovation geography, this paper takes the collaborative innovation of the Yangtze River Delta(YRD) Urban Agglomeration as a case study and measures the collaborative innovation capacity from innovation actors and innovation cities by adopting the catastrophe progression model. Then on this basis, the study depicts the spatial pattern and the benefit allocation of collaborative innovation by using the coupling collaborative degree model and benefit allocation model of collaborative innovation. The results show that:1) The collaborative innovation capacity of cities in the Yangtze River Delta has strengthened largely, while the capacity still is not high enough. Cities with high collaborative innovation capacity are concentrated in Shanghai, the southern part of Jiangsu, and Hangzhou Bay, yet the cooperation of the universities-industries-research institutes need to improve. 2) The spatial pattern of collaborative innovation of the Yangtze River Delta presents several innovation circles, which are in Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou Metropolitan Circle, Nanjing Metropolitan Circle, Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle, Ningbo Metropolitan Circle, and Hefei Metropolitan Circle. Shanghai plays the role of the central city of collaborative innovation, while Suzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Hefei act as sub-central cities. 3) The benefit each city allocated from collaborative innovation activities has increased. However, the allocations of the benefit show that cities with higher innovation capacity have significant advantages in most cases, which lead to serious disparities in space.展开更多
Developed regions of the world represent a major atmospheric methane(CH_4) source,but these regional emissions remain poorly constrained.The Yangtze River Delta(YRD) region of China is densely populated(about 16% of C...Developed regions of the world represent a major atmospheric methane(CH_4) source,but these regional emissions remain poorly constrained.The Yangtze River Delta(YRD) region of China is densely populated(about 16% of China's total population) and consists of large anthropogenic and natural CH_4 sources.Here,atmospheric CH_4 concentrations measured at a 70-m tall tower in the YRD are combined with a scale factor Bayesian inverse(SFBI) modeling approach to constrain seasonal variations in CH_4 emissions.Results indicate that in 2018 agricultural soils(AGS,rice production) were the main driver of seasonal variability in atmospheric CH_4 concentration.There was an underestimation of emissions from AGS in the a priori inventories(EDGAR—Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research v432 or v50),especially during the growing seasons.Posteriori CH_4 emissions from AGS accounted for 39%(4.58 Tg,EDGAR v432) to 47%(5.21 Tg,EDGAR v50) of the total CH_4 emissions.The posteriori natural emissions(including wetlands and water bodies) were1.21 Tg and 1.06 Tg,accounting for 10.1%(EDGAR v432) and 9.5%(EDGAR v50) of total emissions in the YRD in2018.Results show that the dominant factor for seasonal variations in atmospheric concentration in the YRD was AGS,followed by natural sources.In summer,AGS contributed 42%(EDGAR v432) to 64%(EDGAR v50) of the CH_4 concentration enhancement while natural sources only contributed about 10%(EDGAR v50) to 15%(EDGAR v432).In addition,the newer version of the EDGAR product(EDGAR v50) provided more reasonable seasonal distribution of CH_4 emissions from rice cultivation than the old version(EDGAR v432).展开更多
Haze pollution in early winter(December and January) in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD) and in North China(NC)are both severe;however, their monthly variations are significantly different. In this study, the dominant lar...Haze pollution in early winter(December and January) in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD) and in North China(NC)are both severe;however, their monthly variations are significantly different. In this study, the dominant large-scale atmospheric circulations and local meteorological conditions were investigated and compared over the YRD and NC in each month. Results showed that the YRD(NC) is dominated by the so-called Scandinavia(East Atlantic/West Russia)pattern in December, and these circulations weaken in January. The East Asian December and January monsoons over the YRD and NC have negative correlations with the number of haze days. The local descending motion facilitates less removal of haze pollution over the YRD, while the local ascending motion facilitates less removal of haze pollution over NC in January, despite a weaker relationship in December. Additionally, the monthly variations of atmospheric circulations showed that adverse meteorological conditions restrict the vertical(horizontal) dispersion of haze pollution in December(January) over the YRD, while the associated local weather conditions are similar in these two months over NC.展开更多
Annual Land Use/Land Cover(LULC)change information at medium spatial resolution(i.e.,at 30 m)is used in applications ranging from land management to achieving sustainable development goals related to food security.How...Annual Land Use/Land Cover(LULC)change information at medium spatial resolution(i.e.,at 30 m)is used in applications ranging from land management to achieving sustainable development goals related to food security.However,obtaining annual LULC information over large areas and long periods is challenging due to limitations on computational capabilities,training data,and workflow design.Using the Google Earth Engine(GEE),which provides a catalog of multi-source data and a cloud-based environment,we developed a novel methodology to generate a high accuracy 30-m LULC cover map collection of the Yangtze River Delta by integrating free and public LULC products with Landsat imagery.Our major contribution is a hybrid approach that includes three major components:1)a high-quality training dataset derived from multi-source LULC products,filtered by k-means clustering analysis;2)a yearly 39-band stack feature space,utilizing all available Landsat data and DEM data;and 3)a self-adaptive Random Forest(RF)method,introduced for LULC classification.Experimental results show that our proposed workflow achieves an average classification accuracy of 86.33%in the entire Delta.The results demonstrate the great potential of integrating multi-source LULC products for producing LULC maps of increased reliability.In addition,as the proposed workflow is based on open source data and the GEE cloud platform,it can be used anywhere by anyone in the world.展开更多
Geomorphically, Huzhou, which is on the Yangtze River delta is characterized mainly by plains, with small hills. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the environmental geological hazards both natural and those i...Geomorphically, Huzhou, which is on the Yangtze River delta is characterized mainly by plains, with small hills. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the environmental geological hazards both natural and those incurred by human activities in different morphologic units. The authors point out that most of the regional environmental geological problems in the natural geologic-morphologic conditions, such as crustal stability, foundation of soft soil, soil waterlogging and soil erosion, have insignificant effects to the society, or related countermeasures of prevention and control have been adopted. But environmental geological problems incurred by human being's economic activities become more and more severe, for example, water and soil pollution and land subsidence in plain areas resulting from overexploitation of groundwater, and landslides, karst collapses and water and soil loss etc. caused by quarrying in hilly areas.展开更多
As the leading urban agglomeration in China,the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)is experiencing a factor-driven to innovationdriven transition.However,the dynamics of regional innovation growth are not yet fully understood.Th...As the leading urban agglomeration in China,the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)is experiencing a factor-driven to innovationdriven transition.However,the dynamics of regional innovation growth are not yet fully understood.This paper combines the complex network methodology with spatial econometrics to disentangle the contributions of innovation endowments,innovation network flows,and innovation network positions to regional innovation growth,as well as their spatial spillover effects.The primary findings suggest that regional innovation growth results from the networked agglomeration economies,which is shaped by the interactions between agglomeration factors and network factors.Specifically,agglomeration factors play a fundamental role in regional innovation growth.In contrast,network factors,such as the network flows and network positions,may contribute to new path creation by promoting access to external innovation resources.Additionally,the institutional factors show multiplexity in fostering regional innovation patterns.Such findings indicate that the YRD region should shift the innovation growth pattern from competitive involution to mutually beneficial cooperation to reduce regional disparities.In this regard,the institutional capacity of organizing network flows and fostering reciprocal inter-city partnerships has become increasingly critical for promoting sustainable innovation and regional development.展开更多
As the major source of air pollution,sulfur dioxide(S0_(2))emissions have become the focus of global attention.However,existing studies rarely consider spatial effects when discussing the relationship between foreign ...As the major source of air pollution,sulfur dioxide(S0_(2))emissions have become the focus of global attention.However,existing studies rarely consider spatial effects when discussing the relationship between foreign direct investment(FDI)and S0_(2) emissions.This study took the Yangtze River Delta as the research area and used the spatial panel data of 26 cities in this region for 2004-2017.The study investigated the spatial agglomeration effects and dynamics at work in FDI and S0_(2) emissions by using global and local measures of spatial autocorrelation.Then,based on regression analysis using a results of traditional ordinary least squares(OLS)model and a spatial econometric model,the spatial Durbin model(SDM)with spatial-time effects was adopted to quantify the impact of FDI on S0_(2) emissions,so as to avoid the regression results bias caused by ignoring the spatial effects.The results revealed a significant spatial autocorrelation between FDI and S0_(2) emissions,both of which displayed obvious path dependence characteristics in their geographical distribution.A series of agglomeration regions were observed on the spatial scale.The estimation results of the SDM showed that FDI inflow promoted S0_(2) emissions,which supports the pollution haven hypothesis.The findings of this study are significant in the prevention and control of air pollution in the Yangtze River Delta.展开更多
Based on analysis of the theoretical impact of energy consumption on air quality,taking 20 heavily polluted cities in the Yangtze River Delta of China as the object,we construct a Spatial Dubin Model,and estimate the ...Based on analysis of the theoretical impact of energy consumption on air quality,taking 20 heavily polluted cities in the Yangtze River Delta of China as the object,we construct a Spatial Dubin Model,and estimate the effect of energy consumption on air quality and the spatial spillover effects of air pollution.We come to the following conclusions:First,the regional air quality has significant spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity.Second,under three kinds of spatial associated mode,energy consumption has a negative impact on air quality,and the air pollution arising from energy consumption has a negative intra-regional spillover effect.The effect is strongest under the spatial distance weight matrix,followed by the economic distance,and the adjacent spatial weight matrix,which are−0.7926,−0.4547,and−0.4539,respectively.Third,in addition,under the adjacent space and economic distance space matrix,energy consumption has a significant negative effect on air quality,and the inter-regional spillover effects are−0.1513 and−2.5736,respectively.Meanwhile,considering spatial distance and economic development,the inter-regional spillover effect is much larger than is the intra-regional spillover effect.In general,the total spillover effect is at−0.6053 and−3.0284.展开更多
Global warming has become one of important environmental issues, and will alter the spatial distribution of hydrology and water re- sources through accelerating atmospheric and hydrological cycles. Yangtze River Delta...Global warming has become one of important environmental issues, and will alter the spatial distribution of hydrology and water re- sources through accelerating atmospheric and hydrological cycles. Yangtze River Delta region, an economic center in China, has experienced a re- gional temperature increase since the 1960s, forming a heat island, and the warming rate has improved since the 1990s. The characteristics of hy- drology and water resources changed under regional climate warming. Here, the impacts of climate change on hydrology and water resources were discussed from the aspects of precipitation change, sea level rise, seawater invasion and water pollution in Yangtze River Delta region, China.展开更多
Amines are important for new particle formation and subsequent growth in the atmosphere.Consequently,the processes involved are receiving more attention in recent years.Here,we conduct a field observation in order to ...Amines are important for new particle formation and subsequent growth in the atmosphere.Consequently,the processes involved are receiving more attention in recent years.Here,we conduct a field observation in order to investigate the atmospheric particulate amines at a background site in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)during the summer of 2018.Four amines in PM_(2.5),i.e.,methylamine(MA),dimethylamine(DMA),diethylamine(DEA),and trimethylamine(TMA),were collected,twice daily and analyzed.During the campaign,our measurements found the concentrations of MA,DMA,DEA,and TMA of 15.0±15.0,6.3±6.9,20.4±30.1,and 4.0±5.9 ng m^-(3),respectively,and the four amines correlated well with each other.The concentration of amines appear to be independent of whether they were collected during the day or night.Both MA and DMA exhibited a bimodal size distribution that had peaks at 0.67 and 1.1μm,suggesting amines preferably distribute on submicron particles.Boundary layer height(BLH),relative humidity,and pH of aerosols were found have a negative relationship with amines,while aerosol liquid water content(ALWC)was found to have a positive relationship with amines.The PMF(positive matrix factorization)source apportionment results showed that the main source of amines in Chongming Island was of anthropogenic origin such as industrial and biomass emission,followed by marine sources including sea salt and marine biogenic sources.Given that the YRD region is still suffering from complex atmospheric pollution and that the knowledge on aerosol amines is still limited,more field studies are in urgent need for a better understanding of the pollution characteristics of amines.展开更多
Evaluating urban land use efficiency(ULUE) provides insights into the interactions between land use systems and their external environment. Specifically, changes in ULUE are important for monitoring urban transformati...Evaluating urban land use efficiency(ULUE) provides insights into the interactions between land use systems and their external environment. Specifically, changes in ULUE are important for monitoring urban transformation in developing countries. In this study, using a traditional input-output index model, we incorporated slack-based measurements and undesirable outputs into a SBM-UN(slack-based measure-undesirable) model to investigate ULUE within the context of increasing environmental restrictions in China. The model was used to estimate the ULUE of 26 cities in the highly developed urban agglomeration of the Yangtze River Delta from 2000 to2018. The average ULUE in the Yangtze River Delta was relatively low compared to that of developed city regions in the European Union(EU) and North America and exhibited a U-shaped curve over the study period. Incorporating undesirable outputs, such as environmental pollution, into the model reduced ULUE by 19.06%. ULUE varied spatially, with the kernel density estimation exhibiting a bimodal distribution. Efficiency decomposition analysis showed that scale efficiency made a greater contribution to ULUE than pure technical efficiency. Based on our findings, recommended approaches to improve ULUE include optimizing factor allocation, reducing undesirable outputs, and increasing the effective output per land unit. The study suggests that ULUE and the SBM-UN model are useful planning tools for sustainable urban development.展开更多
基金Under the auspices of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.72273151)。
文摘City cluster is an effective platform for encouraging regionally coordinated development.Coordinated reduction of carbon emissions within city cluster via the spatial association network between cities can help coordinate the regional carbon emission management,realize sustainable development,and assist China in achieving the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.This paper applies the improved gravity model and social network analysis(SNA)to the study of spatial correlation of carbon emissions in city clusters and analyzes the structural characteristics of the spatial correlation network of carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)city cluster in China and its influencing factors.The results demonstrate that:1)the spatial association of carbon emissions in the YRD city cluster exhibits a typical and complex multi-threaded network structure.The network association number and density show an upward trend,indicating closer spatial association between cities,but their values remain generally low.Meanwhile,the network hierarchy and network efficiency show a downward trend but remain high.2)The spatial association network of carbon emissions in the YRD city cluster shows an obvious‘core-edge’distribution pattern.The network is centered around Shanghai,Suzhou and Wuxi,all of which play the role of‘bridges’,while cities such as Zhoushan,Ma'anshan,Tongling and other cities characterized by the remote location,single transportation mode or lower economic level are positioned at the edge of the network.3)Geographic proximity,varying levels of economic development,different industrial structures,degrees of urbanization,levels of technological innovation,energy intensities and environmental regulation are important influencing factors on the spatial association of within the YRD city cluster.Finally,policy implications are provided from four aspects:government macro-control and market mechanism guidance,structural characteristics of the‘core-edge’network,reconfiguration and optimization of the spatial layout of the YRD city cluster,and the application of advanced technologies.
文摘Based on the supply-side perspective,the improved STIRPAT model is applied to reveal the mechanisms of supply-side factors such as human,capital,technology,industrial synergy,institutions and economic growth on carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)through path analysis,and to forecast carbon emissions in the YRD from the baseline scenario,factor regulation scenario and integrated scenario to reach the peak.The results show that:(1)Jiangsu's high carbon emission pattern is the main reason for the YRD hindering the synergistic regulation of carbon emissions.(2)Human factors,institutional factors and economic growth factors can all contribute to carbon emissions in the YRD region,while technological and industrial factors can generally suppress carbon emissions in the YRD region.(3)Under the capital regulation scenario,the YRD region has the highest level of carbon emission synergy,with Jiangsu reaching its peak five years earlier.Under the balanced regulation scenario,the YRD region as a whole,Jiangsu,Zhejiang and Anhui reach the peak as scheduled.
文摘Based on the panel data of 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2007 to 2018,this paper empirically tests the impact of digital economy development on urban ecological efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta.The results show that the development level of digital economy in Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration is fluctuating and rising;the development of digital economy has a significant positive role in promoting the improvement of urban ecological efficiency;there is significant regional heterogeneity in the promotion of ecological efficiency by digital economy,especially in central cities.
文摘Effects of elevated O_3 on the yields of rice and winter wheat were studied by using open-top chambers(OTCs). Results showed that compared to the control treatment, 200 ppb, 100 ppb, 50 ppb treatments caused a 80.4%, 58.6% and 10.5% decrease in grain yields per winter wheat plant and a 49.1%, 26.1% and 8.2% decrease in grain yield per rice plant, respectively. According to the dose-response relation educed from OTCs experiment and the monitor data of O_3 concentrations in spots, it was estimated that the yield losses of rice and winter wheat resulted by O_3 pollution in the Yangtze River Delta region in 1999 were 0.599 million ton and 0.669 million ton, economic losses were 0.539 billion RMB Yuan and 0.936 billion RMB Yuan, respectively.
基金Concentrated fund item of national science and technology foundation work, No.2005DKA31700-06-20 Jiangsu Natural Science Foundation, No.BK2005163 Climate change special foundation of China Meteoro logical Administration, No.CCSF2006-32
文摘Based on non-radiance-calibrated DMSP/OLS nighttime light imagery from 1992 to 2003, urban land area statistical data, meteorological data and land surface temperature data retrieved by MODIS and NOAA/AVHRR data, the influence of urbanization on regional climatic trend cf temperature in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) was analyzed. Conclusions are as follows: 1) There is a significant urbanization process from 1992 to 2003 in the YRD. Four city clusters of Nanjing-Zhenjiang-Yangzhou, Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou Bay form a zigzag city belt. The increase rate of annual mean air temperature in city-belt is 0.28-0.44℃/10a from 1991 to 2005, which is far larger than that of non-city-belt. 2) The urban heat island (UHI) effect on regional mean air temperature in different seasons is summer〉autumn〉spring〉winter. 3) The UHI intensity and the urban total population logarithm are creditably correlated. 4) The UHI effect made the regional annual mean air temperature increased 0.072℃ from 1961 to 2005, of which 0.047℃ from 1991 to 2005, and the annual maximum air temperature increased 0.162℃, of which 0.083℃ from 1991 to 2005. All these indicating that the urban expansion in the YRD from 1991 to 2005 may be regarded as a serious climate signal.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40875076, U0833001, and40645024)the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) FY07 Director Opportunity Fund+2 种基金supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAP 07306)the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences(LAPC-KF-2006-12)the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars,State Education Ministry of China
文摘In this paper, the online weather research and forecasting and chemistry (WRF-Chem) model is used to explore the impacts of urban expansion on regional weather conditions and its implication on surface ozone concentrations over the Pearl River Delta(PRD) and Yangtze River Delta(YRD) regions. Two scenarios of urban maps are used in the WRF-Chem to represent the early 1990s (pre-urbanization) and the current urban distribution in the PRD and the YRD. Month-long simulation results using the above land-use scenarios for March 2001 show that urbanization increases both the day- and night-time 2-m temperatures by about 0.6℃and 1.4℃, respectively. Daytime reduction in the wind speed by about 3.0 m s-1 is larger than that for the nighttime (0.5 to 2 m s-1). The daytime increase in the PBL height (〉 200 m) is also larger than the nighttime (50-100 m). The meteorological conditions modified by urbanization lead to detectable ozone-concentration changes in the PRD and the YRD. Urbanization increases the nighttime surface-ozone concentrations by about 4.7%-8.5% and by about 2.9%-4.2% for the daytime. In addition to modifying individual meteorological variables, urbanization also enhances the convergence zones, especially in the PRD. More importantly, urbanization has different effects on the surface ozone for the PRD and the YRD, presumably due to their urbanization characteristics and geographical locations. Even though the PRD has a smaller increase in the surface temperature than the YRD, it has (a) weaker surface wind speed, (b) smaller increase in PBL heights, and (c) stronger convergence zones. The latter three factors outweighed the temperature increase and resulted in a larger ozone enhancement in the PRD than the YRD.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.40371044 No.70573053
文摘In a given district, the accessibility of any point should be the synthetically evaluation of the internal and external accessibilities. Using MapX component and Delphi, the author presents an information system to calculate and analyze regional accessibility according to the shortest travel time, generating thus a mark diffusing figure. Based on land traffic network, this paper assesses the present and the future regional accessibilities of sixteen major cities in the Yangtze River Delta. The result shows that the regional accessibility of the Yangtze River Delta presents a fan with Shanghai as its core. The top two most accessible cities are Shanghai and Jiaxing, and the bottom two ones are Taizhou (Zhejiang province) and Nantong With the construction of Sutong Bridge, Hangzhouwan Bridge and Zhoushan Bridge, the regional internal accessibility of all cities will be improved. Especially for Shaoxing, Ningbo and Taizhou (Jiangsu province), the regional internal accessibility will be decreased by one hour, and other cities will be shortened by about 25 minutes averagely. As the construction of Yangkou Harbor in Nantong, the regional external accessibility of the harbor cities in Jiangsu province will be speeded up by about one hour.
基金supported by a grant from the National Basic Research Program of China (also called 973 Program,Grant No.2009CB426313)National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41005089,41030962 and 40875015)+1 种基金the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20103228120004)the Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (Nos. 08KJA170002 and 10KJB170009),a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions
文摘In order to understand the seasonal variation of aerosol optical properties in the Yangtze River Delta,5 years of measurements were conducted during September 2005 to December 2009 at Taihu,China.The monthly averages of aerosol optical depth were commonly 0.6;the maximum seasonal average(0.93) occurred in summer.The magnitude of the Angstr¨om exponent was found to be high throughout the year;the highest values occurred in autumn(1.33) and were the lowest in spring(1.08).The fine modes of volume size distribution showed the maxima(peaks) at a radius of ~0.15 μm in spring,autumn,and winter;at a radius of ~0.22 μm in summer.The coarse modes showed the maxima(peaks) at a radius of 2.9 μm in spring,summer,and autumn and at a radius of 3.8 μm in winter.The averages of single-scattering albedo were 0.92(spring),0.92(summer),0.91(autumn),and 0.88(winter).The averages of asymmetry factor were found to be larger in summer than during other seasons;they were taken as 0.66 at 440-1020 nm over Taihu.The real part of the refractive index showed a weak seasonal variation,with averages of 1.48(spring),1.43(summer),1.45(autumn),and 1.48(winter).The imaginary parts of the refractive index were higher in winter(0.013) than in spring(0.0076),summer(0.0092),and autumn(0.0091),indicating that the atmosphere in the winter had higher absorbtivity.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2016YFA0602003)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.91544229)
文摘The lake-breeze at Taihu Lake generates a different specific heat capacity between the water body and the surrounding land. Taihu Lake has a significant impact on the atmospheric conditions and the air quality in the Yangtze River Delta. This phenomenon is referred to as the Taihu Lake effect. In this study, two simulations were conducted to determine the impact of the Taihu Lake effect in the reference experiment (R-E) and sensitivity experiments (NO_TH). The control simulations demonstrated that the meteorological field and the spatial distribution of ozone (03) concentrations over Taihu lake obviously changed once the land-use type of water body was substituted by cropland. The surface temperature of Taihu Lake was reduced under the impact of Taihu Lake, and a huge temperature difference caused a strong lake-breeze effect. The results also showed that the difference in the average concentrations of 03 between the R-E and NO_TH experiments reached 12 ppbv in most areas of Taihu Lake, all day, on 20 May 2014. During daytime (0800-1600 LST, LST=UTC+8), the influence of the Taihu Lake effect on 03 in the Suzhou region was not significant. However, the influence of the Taihu Lake effect on 03 in the Suzhou region was obvious during nighttime (1800-2400 LST). The larger changes in the physical and chemical processes were horizontal and vertical advections under the influence of the Taihu Lake effect in Taihu Lake.
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41571110)。
文摘As an important step enhancing regional innovation, researches on collaborative innovation have attracted much more attention recently. One significant reason is that cities can get excessive benefits while they take collaborative innovation activities. Based on the theories of innovation geography, this paper takes the collaborative innovation of the Yangtze River Delta(YRD) Urban Agglomeration as a case study and measures the collaborative innovation capacity from innovation actors and innovation cities by adopting the catastrophe progression model. Then on this basis, the study depicts the spatial pattern and the benefit allocation of collaborative innovation by using the coupling collaborative degree model and benefit allocation model of collaborative innovation. The results show that:1) The collaborative innovation capacity of cities in the Yangtze River Delta has strengthened largely, while the capacity still is not high enough. Cities with high collaborative innovation capacity are concentrated in Shanghai, the southern part of Jiangsu, and Hangzhou Bay, yet the cooperation of the universities-industries-research institutes need to improve. 2) The spatial pattern of collaborative innovation of the Yangtze River Delta presents several innovation circles, which are in Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou Metropolitan Circle, Nanjing Metropolitan Circle, Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle, Ningbo Metropolitan Circle, and Hefei Metropolitan Circle. Shanghai plays the role of the central city of collaborative innovation, while Suzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Hefei act as sub-central cities. 3) The benefit each city allocated from collaborative innovation activities has increased. However, the allocations of the benefit show that cities with higher innovation capacity have significant advantages in most cases, which lead to serious disparities in space.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant Nos.2020YFA0607501 and 2019YFA0607202 to WX)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant No.BK20200802 to CH)the Key Laboratory of Meteorology and Ecological Environment of Hebei Province (Grant No.Z201901H to WX)。
文摘Developed regions of the world represent a major atmospheric methane(CH_4) source,but these regional emissions remain poorly constrained.The Yangtze River Delta(YRD) region of China is densely populated(about 16% of China's total population) and consists of large anthropogenic and natural CH_4 sources.Here,atmospheric CH_4 concentrations measured at a 70-m tall tower in the YRD are combined with a scale factor Bayesian inverse(SFBI) modeling approach to constrain seasonal variations in CH_4 emissions.Results indicate that in 2018 agricultural soils(AGS,rice production) were the main driver of seasonal variability in atmospheric CH_4 concentration.There was an underestimation of emissions from AGS in the a priori inventories(EDGAR—Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research v432 or v50),especially during the growing seasons.Posteriori CH_4 emissions from AGS accounted for 39%(4.58 Tg,EDGAR v432) to 47%(5.21 Tg,EDGAR v50) of the total CH_4 emissions.The posteriori natural emissions(including wetlands and water bodies) were1.21 Tg and 1.06 Tg,accounting for 10.1%(EDGAR v432) and 9.5%(EDGAR v50) of total emissions in the YRD in2018.Results show that the dominant factor for seasonal variations in atmospheric concentration in the YRD was AGS,followed by natural sources.In summer,AGS contributed 42%(EDGAR v432) to 64%(EDGAR v50) of the CH_4 concentration enhancement while natural sources only contributed about 10%(EDGAR v50) to 15%(EDGAR v432).In addition,the newer version of the EDGAR product(EDGAR v50) provided more reasonable seasonal distribution of CH_4 emissions from rice cultivation than the old version(EDGAR v432).
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Plan (Grant No. 2016YFA0600703)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 91744311, 41991283 and 41705058)the funding of the Jiangsu Innovation & Entrepreneurship Team。
文摘Haze pollution in early winter(December and January) in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD) and in North China(NC)are both severe;however, their monthly variations are significantly different. In this study, the dominant large-scale atmospheric circulations and local meteorological conditions were investigated and compared over the YRD and NC in each month. Results showed that the YRD(NC) is dominated by the so-called Scandinavia(East Atlantic/West Russia)pattern in December, and these circulations weaken in January. The East Asian December and January monsoons over the YRD and NC have negative correlations with the number of haze days. The local descending motion facilitates less removal of haze pollution over the YRD, while the local ascending motion facilitates less removal of haze pollution over NC in January, despite a weaker relationship in December. Additionally, the monthly variations of atmospheric circulations showed that adverse meteorological conditions restrict the vertical(horizontal) dispersion of haze pollution in December(January) over the YRD, while the associated local weather conditions are similar in these two months over NC.
基金Under the auspices of the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2017YFB0504205)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41571378)Natural Science Research Project of Higher Education in Anhui Provence(No.KJ2020A0089)。
文摘Annual Land Use/Land Cover(LULC)change information at medium spatial resolution(i.e.,at 30 m)is used in applications ranging from land management to achieving sustainable development goals related to food security.However,obtaining annual LULC information over large areas and long periods is challenging due to limitations on computational capabilities,training data,and workflow design.Using the Google Earth Engine(GEE),which provides a catalog of multi-source data and a cloud-based environment,we developed a novel methodology to generate a high accuracy 30-m LULC cover map collection of the Yangtze River Delta by integrating free and public LULC products with Landsat imagery.Our major contribution is a hybrid approach that includes three major components:1)a high-quality training dataset derived from multi-source LULC products,filtered by k-means clustering analysis;2)a yearly 39-band stack feature space,utilizing all available Landsat data and DEM data;and 3)a self-adaptive Random Forest(RF)method,introduced for LULC classification.Experimental results show that our proposed workflow achieves an average classification accuracy of 86.33%in the entire Delta.The results demonstrate the great potential of integrating multi-source LULC products for producing LULC maps of increased reliability.In addition,as the proposed workflow is based on open source data and the GEE cloud platform,it can be used anywhere by anyone in the world.
文摘Geomorphically, Huzhou, which is on the Yangtze River delta is characterized mainly by plains, with small hills. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the environmental geological hazards both natural and those incurred by human activities in different morphologic units. The authors point out that most of the regional environmental geological problems in the natural geologic-morphologic conditions, such as crustal stability, foundation of soft soil, soil waterlogging and soil erosion, have insignificant effects to the society, or related countermeasures of prevention and control have been adopted. But environmental geological problems incurred by human being's economic activities become more and more severe, for example, water and soil pollution and land subsidence in plain areas resulting from overexploitation of groundwater, and landslides, karst collapses and water and soil loss etc. caused by quarrying in hilly areas.
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52078245)。
文摘As the leading urban agglomeration in China,the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)is experiencing a factor-driven to innovationdriven transition.However,the dynamics of regional innovation growth are not yet fully understood.This paper combines the complex network methodology with spatial econometrics to disentangle the contributions of innovation endowments,innovation network flows,and innovation network positions to regional innovation growth,as well as their spatial spillover effects.The primary findings suggest that regional innovation growth results from the networked agglomeration economies,which is shaped by the interactions between agglomeration factors and network factors.Specifically,agglomeration factors play a fundamental role in regional innovation growth.In contrast,network factors,such as the network flows and network positions,may contribute to new path creation by promoting access to external innovation resources.Additionally,the institutional factors show multiplexity in fostering regional innovation patterns.Such findings indicate that the YRD region should shift the innovation growth pattern from competitive involution to mutually beneficial cooperation to reduce regional disparities.In this regard,the institutional capacity of organizing network flows and fostering reciprocal inter-city partnerships has become increasingly critical for promoting sustainable innovation and regional development.
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41771140)National Key R&D Program of China(No.2018YFE0105900)。
文摘As the major source of air pollution,sulfur dioxide(S0_(2))emissions have become the focus of global attention.However,existing studies rarely consider spatial effects when discussing the relationship between foreign direct investment(FDI)and S0_(2) emissions.This study took the Yangtze River Delta as the research area and used the spatial panel data of 26 cities in this region for 2004-2017.The study investigated the spatial agglomeration effects and dynamics at work in FDI and S0_(2) emissions by using global and local measures of spatial autocorrelation.Then,based on regression analysis using a results of traditional ordinary least squares(OLS)model and a spatial econometric model,the spatial Durbin model(SDM)with spatial-time effects was adopted to quantify the impact of FDI on S0_(2) emissions,so as to avoid the regression results bias caused by ignoring the spatial effects.The results revealed a significant spatial autocorrelation between FDI and S0_(2) emissions,both of which displayed obvious path dependence characteristics in their geographical distribution.A series of agglomeration regions were observed on the spatial scale.The estimation results of the SDM showed that FDI inflow promoted S0_(2) emissions,which supports the pollution haven hypothesis.The findings of this study are significant in the prevention and control of air pollution in the Yangtze River Delta.
基金supported by the National Statistical Scientific Research Project of China[Grant number.2016LZ13]the Ministry of Education of Humanities and Social Science Project of China[Grant number.16YJAZH015]the National Natural Science Foundation of China[Grant number.71874185].
文摘Based on analysis of the theoretical impact of energy consumption on air quality,taking 20 heavily polluted cities in the Yangtze River Delta of China as the object,we construct a Spatial Dubin Model,and estimate the effect of energy consumption on air quality and the spatial spillover effects of air pollution.We come to the following conclusions:First,the regional air quality has significant spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity.Second,under three kinds of spatial associated mode,energy consumption has a negative impact on air quality,and the air pollution arising from energy consumption has a negative intra-regional spillover effect.The effect is strongest under the spatial distance weight matrix,followed by the economic distance,and the adjacent spatial weight matrix,which are−0.7926,−0.4547,and−0.4539,respectively.Third,in addition,under the adjacent space and economic distance space matrix,energy consumption has a significant negative effect on air quality,and the inter-regional spillover effects are−0.1513 and−2.5736,respectively.Meanwhile,considering spatial distance and economic development,the inter-regional spillover effect is much larger than is the intra-regional spillover effect.In general,the total spillover effect is at−0.6053 and−3.0284.
基金Supported by Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province,China (BK2011096)Survey of National Soil Situation and Pollution Control (GZTR20070302)
文摘Global warming has become one of important environmental issues, and will alter the spatial distribution of hydrology and water re- sources through accelerating atmospheric and hydrological cycles. Yangtze River Delta region, an economic center in China, has experienced a re- gional temperature increase since the 1960s, forming a heat island, and the warming rate has improved since the 1990s. The characteristics of hy- drology and water resources changed under regional climate warming. Here, the impacts of climate change on hydrology and water resources were discussed from the aspects of precipitation change, sea level rise, seawater invasion and water pollution in Yangtze River Delta region, China.
基金This work was financially supported by National Key R&D Plan,Ministry of Science and Technology of China—“Mechanism and chemical process characterization of atmospheric particulate matter multi-isotope fractionation”(Grant No.2017YFC0212703)the program from National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41773117)the program of Happiness Flower Plan of East China Normal University of China.
文摘Amines are important for new particle formation and subsequent growth in the atmosphere.Consequently,the processes involved are receiving more attention in recent years.Here,we conduct a field observation in order to investigate the atmospheric particulate amines at a background site in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)during the summer of 2018.Four amines in PM_(2.5),i.e.,methylamine(MA),dimethylamine(DMA),diethylamine(DEA),and trimethylamine(TMA),were collected,twice daily and analyzed.During the campaign,our measurements found the concentrations of MA,DMA,DEA,and TMA of 15.0±15.0,6.3±6.9,20.4±30.1,and 4.0±5.9 ng m^-(3),respectively,and the four amines correlated well with each other.The concentration of amines appear to be independent of whether they were collected during the day or night.Both MA and DMA exhibited a bimodal size distribution that had peaks at 0.67 and 1.1μm,suggesting amines preferably distribute on submicron particles.Boundary layer height(BLH),relative humidity,and pH of aerosols were found have a negative relationship with amines,while aerosol liquid water content(ALWC)was found to have a positive relationship with amines.The PMF(positive matrix factorization)source apportionment results showed that the main source of amines in Chongming Island was of anthropogenic origin such as industrial and biomass emission,followed by marine sources including sea salt and marine biogenic sources.Given that the YRD region is still suffering from complex atmospheric pollution and that the knowledge on aerosol amines is still limited,more field studies are in urgent need for a better understanding of the pollution characteristics of amines.
基金Under the auspices of the Project Supported by Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BK20200109)the Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Exploitation and Protection,Ministry of Natural Resource (No. 2021CZEPK05)+1 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42001225)the Project of Philosophy and Social Science Research in Colleges and Universities of Jiangsu Province,China (No. 2022SJYB0287)。
文摘Evaluating urban land use efficiency(ULUE) provides insights into the interactions between land use systems and their external environment. Specifically, changes in ULUE are important for monitoring urban transformation in developing countries. In this study, using a traditional input-output index model, we incorporated slack-based measurements and undesirable outputs into a SBM-UN(slack-based measure-undesirable) model to investigate ULUE within the context of increasing environmental restrictions in China. The model was used to estimate the ULUE of 26 cities in the highly developed urban agglomeration of the Yangtze River Delta from 2000 to2018. The average ULUE in the Yangtze River Delta was relatively low compared to that of developed city regions in the European Union(EU) and North America and exhibited a U-shaped curve over the study period. Incorporating undesirable outputs, such as environmental pollution, into the model reduced ULUE by 19.06%. ULUE varied spatially, with the kernel density estimation exhibiting a bimodal distribution. Efficiency decomposition analysis showed that scale efficiency made a greater contribution to ULUE than pure technical efficiency. Based on our findings, recommended approaches to improve ULUE include optimizing factor allocation, reducing undesirable outputs, and increasing the effective output per land unit. The study suggests that ULUE and the SBM-UN model are useful planning tools for sustainable urban development.