Abstract: Environments within arid inland river basins are fragile, constraining socio-economic development. Under the background of frequent global crises, exploring the coordination relationship between urbanization intensity and economic resilience in such regions would provide a decision-making basis for promoting high-quality urbanization and sustainable economic development. With the Hexi Corridor as the research area, we constructed evaluation index systems for urbanization level and economic resilience. We used the comprehensive index method, entropy weight method, and coupling coordination degree model to analyze the spatio-temporal characteristics of the coupling coordination degree between urbanization level and economic resilience in the Hexi Corridor from 2001 to 2022 at two scales: the city economic circle and the county level. The results showed that the urbanization level of the Hexi Corridor increased significantly from 2001 to 2022. Regional disparities at the city economic circle scale exhibited greater variation than that at the county scale. Spatially, it displayed a west-high, east-low distribution pattern. The economic resilience level of the Hexi Corridor showed a fluctuating upward trend. Regional disparities at the county scale exhibited greater variation than that at the city economic circle scale. Spatially, it displayed an east-high, west-low distribution pattern. The coupling coordination degree between urbanization level and economic resilience was at a basically coordinated level. The coupling coordination degree increased slightly. The overall coupling level remained relatively low, showing a west-high, east-low distribution pattern. Central cities demonstrated a radiative driving effect.

Key words: urbanization, economic resilience, coupling coordination relationship, multi-scale, Hexi Corridor