Coordinated Development of the Digital Economy and Urban–Rural Integration in the Yangtze River Delta and Its Spatial Correlation Structure

The digital economy plays a crucial role in facilitating the flow of resources between urban and rural areas and addressing developmental imbalances. This study analyzed the coordinated development of the digital economy (DE) and urban–rural integration (URI) across 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2010 to 2022. Using the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method and the coupling coordination degree model, we evaluated the spatial distribution of coordination levels. A modified gravity model and social network analysis revealed spatial correlation structures, while geographic detectors identified dominant influencing factors. The results showed that: (1) the digital economy has advanced faster than urban–rural integration, leading to regional disparities; (2) the coupling coordination level improved over the study period, with cities exhibiting higher coordination concentrated in the eastern and southeastern parts of the region, showing an M-shaped distribution; (3) the coupling coordination degree displayed a spatial distribution pattern from northwest to southeast, with the center shifting southeastward, while overall the central area outperformed the northern and southern areas and the eastern area outperformed the western area; (4) core cities in the spatial correlation network have expanded from Shanghai, Suzhou, and Wuxi to include Nanjing and Changzhou, with increasing influence, but uneven mediating roles; (5) the coordinated development of the digital economy and urban–rural integration was influenced by different factors over various time periods, with the flow of urban–rural resources, agricultural modernization, and social equalization being the primary contributors. Targeted optimization strategies using the geographic detector model would provide a reference for regional urban–rural development.