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Data-Driven Green Transformation: How Public Data Openness Fuels Urban Land Use Eco-Efficiency in Chinese Cities

Author

Listed:
  • Yongqiang Li

    (School of Finance, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Bowen Li

    (School of Economics, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Jiani Chen

    (School of Economics, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China)

  • Yue Zhang

    (School of Economics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China)

  • Yian Hu

    (School of Economics, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China)

  • Chengming Li

    (School of Economics, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China)

Abstract

Urban land use eco-efficiency (ULUEE) encapsulates the equilibrium between economic gains and environmental sustainability. The improvement of ULUEE has emerged as a critical measure in addressing climate change and achieving dual-carbon objectives. This paper examines the potential of public data in enhancing ULUEE, focusing on public data openness (PDO), using a sample of 294 prefecture-level cities spanning from 2014 to 2022. The findings indicate that PDO has a significant positive impact on ULUEE, a result that remains robust through various sensitivity tests. Further analysis reveals that PDO fosters urban innovation, stimulates industrial agglomeration, optimizes urban industrial structures, and further enhances ULUEE through innovation effects, agglomeration effects, and structural effects. A heterogeneity analysis shows that this positive effect is more pronounced in regions with higher financial development levels and in the economically advanced eastern regions, suggesting that the ecological benefits derived from PDO are contingent upon a solid economic foundation. Additionally, the effect is more substantial in regions with weaker digital infrastructure and suboptimal environmental regulation, implying that public data can compensate for deficiencies in urban digital infrastructure and environmental governance, thereby contributing to improvements in ULUEE. This paper broadens the existing literature on the ecological value of public data, uncovers the potential of PDO in promoting ULUEE, and offers a practical framework for leveraging PDO to facilitate urban green transformation and ecological advancement.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:5:p:990-:d:1648873
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