Evaluating the Impacts of Rapid Urbanization on the Ecosystem Services of Cities in Circum-Bohai Sea Region - A Case Study of Yantai City

During the last 3 decades, developing countries especially China has experienced rapid urbanization process, which on one side have brought great leap forward of local economy as well as local social wellbeings, however on the other side such process has also led to great challenges on local ecosystem, which may jeopardize the potential of cities in these countries to meet their residents’ need and pursue more sustainable future. Therefore, a case study was taken in Yantai, a major city in Circum-Bohai Sea Region, and to assess the impact of rapid urbanization process on the local ecosystem services (ES), hence provided suggestions for pursuing more rational way of development of this city. Results showed that the decentralized pattern of urbanization, although has relatively moderate impact on Yantai’s ES, but may have substantially influences on the city’s sustainable future, therefore measures should be taken on restrain the decentralized urban expansion, reform of local authority regimes toward sustainable governance, as well as transforming regional industrial structure from secondary industry depended to more environmental friendly pattern.