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Has the Digital Economy Improved the Urban Land Green Use Efficiency? Evidence from the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone Policy

Author

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  • Guangya Zhou

    (School of Economics and Trade, Hunan University, Changsha 410006, China)

  • Helian Xu

    (School of Economics and Trade, Hunan University, Changsha 410006, China)

  • Chuanzeng Jiang

    (School of Finance and Statistics, Hunan University, Changsha 410006, China)

  • Shiqi Deng

    (School of Economics and Trade, Hunan University, Changsha 410006, China)

  • Liming Chen

    (School of Finance and Statistics, Hunan University, Changsha 410006, China)

  • Zhi Zhang

    (School of Economics and Trade, Hunan University, Changsha 410006, China)

Abstract

The advancement of the big data industry is playing a pivotal role in urban land management refinement. Recently, China initiated a big data strategy, establishing national big data comprehensive pilot zones (NBDCPZs) across diverse regions. These initiatives present substantial opportunities for enhancing the urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE). Consequently, in this study, we utilized the super-efficiency slack-based measure (SBM) model with undesirable outputs to assess the ULGUEs across 281 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2021. Subsequently, leveraging the NBDCPZ establishment as a quasi-natural experiment, we employed the difference-in-differences (DID) method to empirically explore the impact of the NBDCPZ policy on the ULGUE for the first time. The findings revealed the following: (1) The implementation of the NBDCPZ policy significantly enhances the ULGUE; (2) the effects are mediated through mechanisms such as fostering technological innovation, mitigating resource misallocation, and promoting industrial agglomeration; (3) the heterogeneity analysis emphasizes the increased policy effectiveness in cities characterized by fewer natural resources, lower economic growth pressures, stable development stages, and moderate digital infrastructure and human capital levels; and (4) further analysis demonstrates the significant positive spillover effects of the NBDCPZ policy on the ULGUEs of neighboring non-pilot cities, with a diminishing impact as the proximity between pilot and non-pilot cities decreases. Overall, this study contributes to the literature on the relationship between the digital economy and land utilization, offering valuable insights for achieving sustainable urban development.

Suggested Citation

  • Guangya Zhou & Helian Xu & Chuanzeng Jiang & Shiqi Deng & Liming Chen & Zhi Zhang, 2024. "Has the Digital Economy Improved the Urban Land Green Use Efficiency? Evidence from the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone Policy," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-25, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:7:p:960-:d:1426104
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    References listed on IDEAS

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