Comprehensive assessment of the coupling coordination degree between urbanization and ecological environment in the Siberian and Far East Federal Districts, Russia from 2005 to 2017

The urbanization growth in the 20th and 21st centuries has led to a series of unprecedented problems in the ecological environment. Based on constructing an integrated urbanization-ecological environment index system, this article conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the coupling coordination degree between urbanization and the ecological environment and uncovers its spatiotemporal variation characteristics in the Siberian and Far East Federal Districts, Russia from 2005 to 2017. The coupling coordination of urbanization and the ecological environment in the Siberian and Far East Federal Districts improve from slightly unbalanced development stage to barely balanced development stage from 2005 to 2017. In 2017, more than half regions achieved the barely balanced development of urbanization and the ecological environment. However, the most desirable development stage, the superior balanced development stage, is never achieved in the Siberian and Far East Federal Districts during the study period. The spatial pattern of the coupling coordination degree of urbanization and the ecological environment in the Siberian and Far East Federal District gradually changes from “dumbbell” to “high-north low-south”. The south part of the Siberian and Far East Federal Districts should be paid more attention in the future urban development process. This research will provide support in the future coordination of urban development in the Siberian and Far East Federal Districts.