Coupling Coordination Degree Determinates Urban Competitiveness: An Analytical Study Based on the Large and Medium Sample Cities in Europe

Coupling coordination degree is an important issue, affecting urban development. Based on the index data of the economic competitiveness of 126 European cities, this paper analyzes the degree of coupling coordination (DCC) among technological innovation, financial services, industrial system, human resources, business environment, business cost, infrastructure and living environment. Through coupling coordination analysis, benchmark regression, quantile regression and other empirical model analysis, results show that there is a high positive correlation between the economic competitiveness and the coupling coordination degree, and the coupling coordination degree is the key driving factor for the urban competitiveness. The cities with strong coordination or good coordination are mainly concentrated in western, northern and eastern Europe, with financial and technological innovation, while, the cities with low coupling and coordination degree are mainly concentrated in the cities of the underdeveloped regions such as the eastern and the southern. Different driving factors affect the competitiveness of various cities in Europe. Considering the local conditions, the suggestions are to grasp the key driving factors of the urban development, bring out the strengths of the city, make up the short board, and grasp the key to promote the improvement of the urban economic competitiveness.