[Objective] The level of coupled and coordinated development between intensive land use and ecological civilization construction were explored， in order to provide a scientific foundation for promoting sustainable urban development of cities in the Yellow River basin and guiding the formulation and implementation of relevant policies. [Methods] Fifty-seven cities in the Yellow River basin were selected as the study area and using data from 2011 to 2021. A comprehensive evaluation model was constructed to assess both intensive land use and ecological civilization construction. The coupled development of intensive land use and ecological civilization construction at the urban scale was analyzed using several methods， including the relative development degree model， coupled coordination degree model， kernel density estimation， spatial autocorrelation analysis， and spatiotemporal evolution dynamics. [Results] First， the overall level of urban land intensive use and ecological civilization construction in the Yellow River basin increased steadily from 2011 to 2021. However， there were significant regional disparities， and the overall intensive land use was still low. Second， except for some economically developed provincial capitals， the level of land-intensive utilization in most cities lagged behind that of ecological civilization construction. Only Jinan City and Taiyuan City achieved a state of synchronous development by 2021. The degree of coupling and coordination between intensive land use and ecological civilization construction in the Yellow River basin has generally increased， with most cities gradually shifting from a dysfunctional to a more coordinated state. This pattern is characterized by higher coordination levels in the eastern regions and lower levels in the western regions， along with notable spatial agglomeration effects. [Conclusion] To promote high-quality economic development across the Yellow River basin， cities should enhance the coordination between intensive land use and ecological civilization construction through strengthened regional linkages， tailored land use strategies， and the radiating influence of core cities.