Abstract An understanding of the evolution process of human habitats and their correlation with geographical elements, as well as an exploration of the evolution mechanism of habitats in arid zones, is essential for examining the interactions between habitat sustainability and the geographical environment comprehensively. The polycentric governance theory and synergy theory form the basis of this study, which proposes a polycentric synergistic development model and constructs an evaluation index system for the quality of the human habitat environment in Xinjiang in terms of social services and security, comprehensive economic level, ecological, livable environment and population and cultural environment. The TOPSIS model is utilised to assess the integrated valuation of the quality of the human environment, facilitating analysis of the spatial and temporal trends and spatial correlations of the quality of the human environment. The geodetector model is also employed to identify the influencing factors of the habitat environment. From the perspective of sustainable development, the interconnections and synergistic development processes within the habitat system were elucidated, as well as how the various elements interacted with each other in shaping the habitat system from multiple perspectives. Furthermore, the cumulative effects of the influencing factors on the human settlement environment in arid zones were further verified through the interaction of multiple factors. Furthermore, it verifies the cumulative effect of the influencing factors on the arid environment through the interaction of multiple factors. This study provides theoretical support and empirical evidence for the study of the global arid zone habitat environment, and provides a reference for decision-making on sustainable development paths in specific geographical conditions.