Establishing coordinated development index of urbanization based on multi-source data: A case study of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, China

•A coordinated development index of urbanization is established.•The level of urbanization coordination in the Greater Bay Area is gradually increasing.•2015 is the important turning point in the urbanization of the Greater Bay Area.•The distribution of urbanization coordination in the Greater Bay Area is agglomeration. Evaluation of the coordinated development level of urbanization is an essential step in the implementation of sustainable development strategies. In this study, we constructed a comprehensive evaluation indicator system for the coordinated development of urbanization by considering the coupling effect of urbanization on land, population, and economic, social, and ecological aspects. We used this system to evaluate the urbanization coordinated development level of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area from 2000 to2020. The spatial distribution and evolution were analyzed and explored at the regional, urban, and county scales. The results showed that (1) the coordination development level of urbanization in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was gradually increasing. It rapidly increased from 2000 to 2015 and entered a period of steady development after 2015. (2) From the perspective of spatial distribution, the level of urbanization coordination in the Greater Bay Area was higher in the eastern part than in the western part and higher in the central part than in the periphery. There was obvious spatial agglomeration in which high coordination areas were concentrated near the Pearl River estuary. (3) At different scales, the level of regional coordination showed slight variations despite the overall positive trend. The results of this study can aid in decision-making regarding the sustainable development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.