Evaluating Sustainable Urbanization of Resource-Based Cities Based on the McKinsey Matrix: Case Study in China

Abstract

Urbanization in resource-based Chinese cities is experiencing rapid development, which has resulted in many problems. This paper introduces a McKinsey matrix–based method to assess the sustainable urbanization performance of resource-based cities. The urbanization index (UI) and ecoefficiency index (EI), which are used to evaluate urbanization performance and sustainable development respectively, are calculated using an Entropy method. Values of UI and EI are then used as the basis for constructing the McKinsey matrix. The matrix can assist in evaluating sustainable urbanization performance by locating the urbanization state point. The developed method is applied to a typical resource-based city (Datong city) in China during 23–214. The results show that UI and EI both increased in Datong city and the relationship between urbanization and sustainable development is dynamic in different periods. Finally, the result show that this method is a helpful tool that policy makers and planners can use to understand the performance of urban sustainability and to formulate suitable strategies for guiding urbanization toward better sustainability.