Study on the Matching Degree between Land Resources Carrying Capacity and Industrial Development in Main Cities of Xinjiang, China

The contradiction between industrial development (ID) and land resource carrying capacity (LRCC) is increasingly intensified with the rapid advancement of urbanization globally. This typical phenomenon exists particularly in these developing countries or regions. This study investigated the matching degree (MD) between ID and LRCC by using a coupling coordination degree model (CCDM) with referring to the main cities of Xinjiang, China. The data used in this study was collected from 16 sample cities in Xinjiang for the period of 2009–2018. The research findings reveal that (1) MD average value between 16 sample cities has been gaining steady growth; (2) although MD value in all sample cities has been increasing, there still exists a big room for improvement towards a well matching state; (3) the differences in MD values among all sample cities are very small; (4) the MD performance in the northern cities in Xinjiang is better than that in southern Xinjiang. This is mainly because of the radiation effect of Urumqi in northern cities. It is therefore suggested developing such a radiation city in southern Xinjiang in order to improve MD performance in southern Xinjiang. These research findings can provide policymakers in Xinjiang and other backward cities globally with valuable references in understanding the status of MD between ID and LRCC in the local cities, thus tailor-made policy instruments can be designated for the mission of sustainable development.