Analysis of Spatial Characteristics and Driving Factors of Urbanization Level in the Yangtze River Delta Region

The Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRD), a pivotal intersection of the "Belt and Road" Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt, holds an irreplaceable strategic position in China’s modernization and opening-up. With the issuance of “Five-Year Action Plan for In-depth Implementation of the People-Centered New Urbanization Strategy”, scientifically assessing its urbanization quality and exploring driving factors have become increasingly critical. This study focuses on 41 cities in