IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i10p4381-d1654023.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessing the Impact of Climate-Resilient City Development on Urban Sustainability: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Wenchong He

    (College of Business and Economics, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia)

  • Xinrui Guo

    (College of Business and Economics, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia)

  • Congwen Zhang

    (College of Business and Economics, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia)

Abstract

Developing a climate-resilient city (CRC) is a crucial strategy to improve the integrated adaptability of urban areas, enhance their livability, and fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The paper utilizes panel data from 298 cities at or above the prefecture level in China, spanning from 2007 to 2022. Treating the 2017 CRC pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment, this study applies a difference-in-differences (DID) model to evaluate its effects and mechanisms on urban sustainable development by comparing changes in outcomes between pilot and non-pilot cities over time. The research indicated that the establishment of CRC significantly improves urban sustainable development, with this impact being more pronounced in regions characterized by inadequate infrastructure, lower administrative capacity, and low extreme climate risk. Mechanism analysis reveals that industrial structure optimization and talent attraction serve as primary channels, while green technology innovation and heightened public environmental awareness provide complementary support. These mechanisms jointly reinforce the effectiveness of the CRC policy. Furthermore, CRC implementation generates positive geographical spillover effects, enhancing sustainability in neighboring cities through demonstration effects and policy diffusion. This paper offers an empirical foundation for advancing the pilot initiatives of climate-resilient urban development and presents policy recommendations for the expedited advancement of sustainable urban growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenchong He & Xinrui Guo & Congwen Zhang, 2025. "Assessing the Impact of Climate-Resilient City Development on Urban Sustainability: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-26, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:10:p:4381-:d:1654023
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4381/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4381/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    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:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:10:p:4381-:d:1654023. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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.