Effects of multi-dimensional urbanization on land use carbon emissions in the Wuhan urban agglomeration: evidence from social network analysis and spatial regression analysis

Understanding the influence of multi-dimensional urbanization on land use carbon emissions (LUCEs) is crucial for achieving sustainable regional development. This study estimates LUCEs and urbanization levels for 37 counties in the Wuhan urban agglomeration (WUA) during 2000–2020 and examines their spatial relationships using social network analysis (SNA) and spatial regression models. The results show that (1) LUCEs increased until 2015 with a gradually declining growth rate and then began to decrease, with construction land and cultivated land remaining the dominant carbon sources. (2) The comprehensive and multi-dimensional urbanization levels gradually increased steadily over time, with the highest level observed in Wuhan metropolitan area. (3) LUCEs exhibited significant spatial correlation across counties, characterized by increasing network density, declining network efficiency, and stable network connectivity. (4) Social urbanization exerted the most consistent significant positive effect on LUCEs, whereas the net primary productivity (NPP) had a significant mitigating effect. These findings provide empirical evidence for designing regionally differentiated and coordinated carbon reduction policies tailored to the spatial interaction characteristics of urban agglomerations, thereby supporting high-quality and sustainable regional development.