1. Key Laboratory of Region Sustainable Development Modeling, CAS, Beijing 100101, China;
2. Institute of Geographical Science and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China;
3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Abstract This paper constructed a comprehensive assessment system of living environment for 286 cities over prefecture level (excluding Lhasa) from four aspects:supporting conditions of housing conditions, ecological environment, public facilities and social economy. The standard variance method was adopted to evaluate the levels of living environment and subsystems. Furthermore, we also applied spatial econometric analysis to discuss the effect of living environment on urbanization. The results showed that:① as a whole, supporting conditions of living environment were low in China and should be improved as soon as possible; ② there were significant spatial differences in supporting conditions of living environment, and they showed a regional character that quality of living environment decreased from eastern, central, northeastern areas to western area;③ spatial inequality and unbalanced development also existed in subsystems of living environment while supporting conditions of ecological environment, living conditions, social economy and public service facilities were decreasing;④ there were corresponding relationship and partial mismatch between supporting conditions of living environment and urbanization level;⑤ spatial econometric analysis proved that supporting conditions of living environment could promote the development of urbanization significantly.
2015, Vol. 30 
