Transformation of China’s urbanization and eco-environment dynamics: an insight with location-based population-weighted indicators

Within a short period, rapid urbanization has reshaped China’s eco-environment, especially at the beginning of the new century. Many studies have focused on the changes in certain physical indicators of eco-environments; however, these indicators cannot directly explain or only slightly consider the eco-environmental benefits of urban residents. Therefore, we analysed location-based population-weighted eco-environmental changes with indicators of the vegetation index and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentration at each pixel in China’s prefectures and combined the changes with urban expansion to provide an expanded understanding of the transformation of China’s urbanization and its eco-environmental dynamics. We discovered that China’s urban areas expanded by 38,350 km 2 from 2000 to 2015 with an increase in the population-weighted vegetation and PM 2.5 concentration, but the changes varied among different periods. From 2005 to 2010, urban areas expanded by 20,970 km 2 with an increase in the population-weighted vegetation and PM 2.5 concentration. The period from 2000 to 2005 was a key transforming period that experienced an urban expansion of 9081 km 2 with a decrease in the population-weighted vegetation and an increase in the population-weighted PM 2.5 concentration. An urban expansion of 8299 km 2 with an increase in the population-weighted vegetation and a decrease of the population-weighted PM 2.5 concentration occurred from 2010 to 2015. The results of this research indicate that China’s urbanization and environmental changes have facilitated eco-environmental improvements.