# The coupling coordination relationship and obstacle factors of public cultural services and economic development: A case study of 31 regions in China

## TL;DR

This study explores how public cultural services and economic development interact in 31 Chinese regions, finding regional disparities and key obstacles to balanced growth.

## Contribution

A novel evaluation framework is introduced to analyze coupling coordination and identify obstacles between public cultural services and economic development.

## Key findings

- Higher coupling coordination is observed in eastern coastal regions compared to western and northeastern provinces.
- Deficiencies in library exhibitions and public lectures, along with fiscal revenue constraints, hinder balanced development.
- Positive spatial autocorrelation in coordination levels is evident across regions.

## Abstract

The interrelationship between public cultural services (PCSs) and economic development (ED) has emerged as an important theme in academic inquiry, playing a pivotal role in advancing global sustainability. This research treats PCSs and ED as distinct systems to investigate pathways for achieving optimal coordination and balanced progress. By constructing a comprehensive evaluation framework for PCS-ED interactions, this work utilizes analytical approaches including coupled coordination measurement, kernel density analysis, spatial Markov modeling, and obstacle factor assessment to analyze their coordinated development among 31 provincial regions in China from 2014 to 2023. Our findings reveal notable geographical disparities, characterized by a pronounced positive spatial autocorrelation in coordination levels between PCS and ED. The degree of coupling coordination is higher in the eastern coastal regions, whereas that in the western and northeastern provinces exhibit lower levels of coordination. The primary impediments to balanced development are attributed to deficiencies in library exhibitions and public lectures, and constraints imposed by fiscal revenue limitations. Our findings offer valuable empirical support for optimizing the distribution of public cultural assets and fostering equitable regional economic advancement. This study echoes the global initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on culture for sustainable development.