System Dynamics Theory Applied to Differentiated Levels of City–Industry Integration in China

The development of city–industry integration is crucial for modern cities and is a core element of city competitiveness enhancement and sustainable development. This study considers system dynamics theory to examine city–industry integration and constructs an index system to measure the degree of integration. For this purpose, 31 regions in China (including provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government) are considered as research samples. Objective evaluation methods such as factor analysis and entropy methods are applied to evaluate the target value. The research results reveal a wide gap in the levels of city–industry integration in various regions of China. Furthermore, the Middle East outperforms the Western and Northeastern regions. Accordingly, the advantages of the Central and Eastern regions should be combined, and a leading and radiation-driven role should be played. Moreover, capital investment in the Western and Northeastern regions should be increased, and emphasis should be placed on local characteristics. Moreover, urban economic development, industrial transformation, and industrial upgrading should be promoted, and the sustainable development capacity of cities should be enhanced.