IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v14y2025i2p322-d1584185.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How Can Digital Economy Accessibility Accelerate Urban Land Green Transformation in China? Evidence from Threshold and Intermediary Effects

Author

Listed:
  • Guanglong Li

    (School of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China)

  • Xuhai Zhao

    (School of Economics and Management, Gongqing Institute of Science and Technology, Jiujiang 332020, China)

  • Yanfeng Jiang

    (School of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China)

  • Yuandong Zou

    (School of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China)

  • Shuyang Liu

    (School of Economics, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China)

  • Xuejing Li

    (School of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China)

  • Liangen Zeng

    (School of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China)

Abstract

The digital economy is a new economic form that has a significant impact on urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE). With the provincial panel data between 2013 and 2021, this paper empirically tests how the digital economy development level (DEDL) promotes the improvement of ULFUE in China. The key findings include the following: (1) There were significant spatial differences for the ULGUE and DEDL of China. For China’s ULGUE, China shows an ascent after an initial decline trend from 2013 to 2017, but a decline trend after 2017. China’s DEDL took on a rising tendency during the research period. In 2021, China’s DEDL increased by 143.8% compared with that in 2013. (2) The digital economy can obviously promote the ULGUE, but the promotion effect is affected by the urbanization level; with improvements in urbanization level, the impact of that may strengthen. (3) Technological innovation demonstrates a complete intermediary effect between the digital economy and ULGUE; the mediation transmission mechanism of technological innovation is evident. These results have been verified by robustness tests, proving their stability and reliability. The research results will provide new insights into the high-quality utilization of urban land resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Guanglong Li & Xuhai Zhao & Yanfeng Jiang & Yuandong Zou & Shuyang Liu & Xuejing Li & Liangen Zeng, 2025. "How Can Digital Economy Accessibility Accelerate Urban Land Green Transformation in China? Evidence from Threshold and Intermediary Effects," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-23, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:2:p:322-:d:1584185
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/2/322/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/2/322/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Liangen Zeng, 2022. "The Driving Mechanism of Urban Land Green Use Efficiency in China Based on the EBM Model with Undesirable Outputs and the Spatial Dubin Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-20, August.
    2. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
    3. Xue, Qihang & Wang, Huimin & Wei, Jian & Bai, Caiquan, 2024. "Does the digital economy improve female autonomy?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 193-207.
    4. Hansen, Bruce E., 1999. "Threshold effects in non-dynamic panels: Estimation, testing, and inference," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 345-368, December.
    5. Li, Hongmei & Xu, Ruizhe, 2023. "How does digital finance affect the efficiency of urban green economies? Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).
    6. Lai, Aolin & Li, Zhenran & Hu, Xiurong & Wang, Qunwei, 2024. "Does digital economy improve city-level eco-efficiency in China?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1198-1213.
    7. Malin Song & Heting Pan & Michael Vardanyan & Zhiyang Shen, 2023. "Evaluating the energy efficiency-enhancing potential of the digital economy: Evidence from China," Post-Print hal-04277444, HAL.
    8. Wang, Qunwei & Su, Bin & Zhou, Peng & Chiu, Ching-Ren, 2016. "Measuring total-factor CO2 emission performance and technology gaps using a non-radial directional distance function: A modified approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 475-482.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gioia, Francesca & Morabito, Leo, 2025. "Behind the Screen: Gender Differences in the Creator Economy," IZA Discussion Papers 17666, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Shuangjie Li & Hongyu Diao & Liming Wang & Chunqi Li, 2021. "Energy Efficiency Measurement: A VO TFEE Approach and Its Application," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-18, February.
    3. Tan, Xiujie & Xiao, Ziwei & Liu, Yishuang & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad & Wang, Banban & Dong, Hanmin, 2022. "The effect of green credit policy on energy efficiency: Evidence from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    4. Chen, Weidong & Geng, Wenxin, 2017. "Fossil energy saving and CO2 emissions reduction performance, and dynamic change in performance considering renewable energy input," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 283-292.
    5. Mehdi Hajamini & Mohammad Ali Falahi, 2014. "The nonlinear impact of government consumption expenditure on economic growth: Evidence from low and low-middle income countries," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(1), pages 1-15, December.
    6. Hao Zhang & Jianxin You & Xuekelaiti Haiyirete & Tianyu Zhang, 2020. "Measuring Logistics Efficiency in China Considering Technology Heterogeneity and Carbon Emission through a Meta-Frontier Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-18, October.
    7. Yongjun Chen & Wei Li & Longji Zeng & Min Chen, 2025. "Quality or Quantity? The Impact of Voluntary Environmental Regulation on Firm’s Green Technological Innovation: Evidence from Green Factory Certification in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-31, March.
    8. V. Sanz-Torro & C. Calafat-Marzal & J. M. Guaita-Martinez & L. Marti, 2025. "An integrated approach to resource efficiency, green markets and support measures in SMEs," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-24, December.
    9. Yao, Xin & Guo, Chengwen & Shao, Shuai & Jiang, Zhujun, 2016. "Total-factor CO2 emission performance of China’s provincial industrial sector: A meta-frontier non-radial Malmquist index approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 1142-1153.
    10. Lin, Ruiyue & Peng, Yudan, 2024. "A new cross-efficiency meta-frontier analysis method with good ability to identify technology gaps," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 314(2), pages 735-746.
    11. Zhang, Hua & Lai, Jie & Kang, Chenyi, 2024. "Green signalling under environmental pressure: Does local government environmental regulatory pressure promote corporate environmental information disclosure?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 813-844.
    12. Wu, Jiayi & Lai, Aolin & Li, Zhenran & Wang, Qunwei, 2024. "Investment efficiency of renewable energy enterprises when exposed to air pollution: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(PC).
    13. Shuangjie Li & Wei Wang & Liming Wang & Ge Wang, 2023. "Digital Economy and 3E Efficiency Performance: Evidence from EU Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-18, March.
    14. Deheng Zhou & Mengqian Tang & Houjian Li, 2024. "Investigating the nonlinear effects of climate change on agricultural green total factor productivity: findings from the PSTR approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(9), pages 24453-24471, September.
    15. Hangsheng Yang & Min Tang & Xiangrui Chao & Pu Li, 2024. "How environmental regulation influences the green economy efficiency of resource-based cities: an empirical study from China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(11), pages 27249-27276, November.
    16. Guo, Pengwei & He, Yongda & Scrimgeour, Frank & Shao, Shuai & Yu, Yuting, 2024. "The impact of natural resource dependency on green economic growth: A business environment perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    17. Pavlos Almanidis, 2013. "Accounting for heterogeneous technologies in the banking industry: a time-varying stochastic frontier model with threshold effects," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 191-205, April.
    18. Xingle Long & Yusen Luo & Huaping Sun & Gang Tian, 2018. "Fertilizer using intensity and environmental efficiency for China’s agriculture sector from 1997 to 2014," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 92(3), pages 1573-1591, July.
    19. Bingqing Li & Zhanqi Wang & Feng Xu, 2022. "Does Optimization of Industrial Structure Improve Green Efficiency of Industrial Land Use in China?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-18, July.
    20. Haiying Liu & Wenqi Guo & Yu Wang & Dianwu Wang, 2022. "Impact of Resource on Green Growth and Threshold Effect of International Trade Levels: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-20, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:2:p:322-:d:1584185. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.