Different pathways, same goal: configuring different types of policy tools to improve the urban land green use efficiency

Against the backdrop of accelerating global urbanisation, cities are increasingly facing multiple challenges such as land resource scarcity, inefficient use, and environmental degradation. As a key strategy to address these global issues, land redevelopment is progressively becoming an important path towards the intensive, efficient, and green sustainable use of land. This paper examines how land redevelopment policies contribute to improving the urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE). Based on policy tool theory, the paper then uses the fsQCA method to systematically explore how six policy tools in the supply, environment and demand dimensions can be combined to promote ULGUE enhancement. The study finds that (1) ULGUE shows a spatial pattern with a gradient decreasing from east to west; (2) governments exhibit a certain preference in selecting policy tools; (3) a single policy tool is insufficient to significantly enhance ULGUE, highlighting the necessity for the synergistic application of multiple tools; (4) four policy tool combination paths are identified: environmental-demand synergy, supply-environment synergy, supply-demand synergy, and holistic synergy, confirming the effectiveness of diversified policy combinations in improving ULGUE; (5) there are differences among the eastern, central, and western regions in the paths of ULGUE improvement, of which the holistic synergy path showing broad applicability, adaptable to various development stages and regional characteristics. This study systematically reveals the mechanisms by which the synergistic application of land redevelopment policy tools enhances ULGUE, providing theoretical support and practical insights for the formulation of land redevelopment policies tailored to local conditions.