Zhang, Y.H.; Fan, J.H.; Chen, S.L.; Li, T.Y., and Yu, Z.X., 2019. A quantitative evaluation on ecological city construction level of urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of Yangtze River. In: Li, L.; Wan, X.; and Huang, X. (eds.), Recent Developments in Practices and Research on Coastal Regions: Transportation, Environment and Economy. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 98, pp. 300–305. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Based on the eco-city concept and the index system proposed at home and abroad, we inherit the basic ideas and principles of the relevant theoretical concepts of ecological cities at home and abroad. Starting from the ecological city development model, we suggest that ecological cities are based on the concept of an ecological civilization to establish a coordinated and sustainable human habitat for economic, social, and natural development. We explore further and establish an index system based on three subsystems: living and working in peace, resources and environment, and development potential. Through factor analysis, this approach was applicable to cities at a city level in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The 28 eco-city developments were ranked for evaluation. According to the scores and development status of the factor analysis model of each ecological city, the development levels of the ecological city in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River were divided into three stages: developed ecological city, developing ecological city, and backward ecological city. The prefecture-level ecological cities in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River included 10 developed ecological cities: Wuhan, Nanchang, Changsha, Yingtan, Jingdezhen, Xinyu, Ezhou, Xiangtan, Huangshi, Pingxiang; six developing ecological cities: Yichun, Zhuzhou, Jingmen, Jiujiang, Loudi, Changde; and 12 backward ecological cities: Fuyang, Fuzhou, Jingzhou, Huanggang, Yiyang, Yueyang, Xiaogan, Ji'an, Shangrao, Hengyang, Changde, and Xianning. The proportion of developed and developing ecological cities in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River has reached 57.14%. Among them, the level of ecological cities in Jiangxi Province is higher than those in Hubei and Hunan provinces.