Enhancing the comprehensive carrying capacity of urban agglomerations is
a key task to realize high-quality development. Based on the panel data of 28 prefecture-level
cities in the city cluster in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River from 2010
to 2021, this study comprehensively evaluated the spatio-temporal evolution
characteristics of the comprehensive urban carrying capacity of the region by
comprehensively applying the DPSIR framework and entropy-weighted TOPSIS
methodology. Additionally, the obstacle factor model was used to diagnose the
constraints. The study found that: (1) The overall comprehensive carrying
capacity of the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River
showed an upward trend, although the growth rates varied; (2) In terms of
spatial distribution, the comprehensive carrying capacity of the urban
agglomeration had evolved from low-level imbalance to high-level imbalance,
presenting a spatial differentiation pattern of "higher in center city";
(3) The driving force and response systems contributed significantly to the
comprehensive carrying capacity of cities, while the pressure and state systems
had a relatively small effect; (4) The obstacle factors affecting the
comprehensive carrying capacity of cities in the urban agglomeration included
innovation capacity, infrastructure construction, education, and public
cultural service levels. The results of this study provided a scientific basis
and guidance for the formulation of sustainable development policies for the
urban agglomeration of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and similar
urban agglomerations.