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Treating the Symptoms as Well as the Root Causes: How the Digital Economy Can Mitigate the Negative Impacts of Land Resource Mismatches on Urban Ecological Resilience

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  • Huangying Gu

    (School of Economics, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
    China Institute for Vitalizing Border Areas and Enriching the People, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
    These authors contributed equally, and we sort them alphabetically by last name.)

  • Guanyu Guo

    (School of Economics, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
    China Institute for Vitalizing Border Areas and Enriching the People, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
    These authors contributed equally, and we sort them alphabetically by last name.)

  • Chengming Li

    (School of Economics, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
    China Institute for Vitalizing Border Areas and Enriching the People, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China)

Abstract

In the era of the digital economy (DE), the traditional economic growth paradigm is no longer applicable. To explore whether the DE can improve the urban ecological problems left behind by rough economic growth, this study examines the effects of land resource mismatch (LRM) on urban ecological resilience (UER) and evaluates the mitigating influence of the DE. This analysis utilizes data from 280 prefectural-level cities in China over the period from 2007 to 2021 and reveals that LRM significantly undermines UER, with this conclusion remaining robust across a series of tests. Additionally, the detrimental impact of LRM on UER is more pronounced in megacities, cities with high levels of economic development, and those with a lower degree of advanced industrial structure. In further analysis, this study finds that the digital economy can optimize the allocation of land resources, thereby enhancing urban ecological resilience, which has the effect of “treating the root causes”. In addition, digital government and digital infrastructure, as key elements of the digital economy, also mitigate the negative impacts of land resource misallocation on urban ecological resilience, having the effect of “treating the symptoms”. Finally, this study proposes policy suggestions such as optimizing ecological layout, deepening land reform, and promoting digital government and infrastructure construction to provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for local governments to enhance UER and help build a new model of greener, more resilient, and sustainable urban development.

Suggested Citation

  • Huangying Gu & Guanyu Guo & Chengming Li, 2024. "Treating the Symptoms as Well as the Root Causes: How the Digital Economy Can Mitigate the Negative Impacts of Land Resource Mismatches on Urban Ecological Resilience," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-21, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:9:p:1463-:d:1474447
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Zijing Hu & Bowen Li & Guanyu Guo & Yuan Tian & Yue Zhang & Chengming Li, 2024. "Unlocking the Power of Economic Agglomeration: How Digital Finance Enhances Urban Land Use Efficiency Through Innovation Ability and Rationalization of Industrial Structure in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-26, October.
    2. Yongqiang Li & Bowen Li & Jiani Chen & Yue Zhang & Yian Hu & Chengming Li, 2025. "Data-Driven Green Transformation: How Public Data Openness Fuels Urban Land Use Eco-Efficiency in Chinese Cities," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-29, May.
    3. Wenjie Li & Guanyu Guo & Huangying Gu & Shuhao Lai & Yuanjie Duan & Chengming Li, 2024. "Digital Economy as a Buffer: Alleviating the Adverse Effects of Land Resource Mismatch on Food Security," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-21, October.

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