Does smart city construction promote urban green development? Evidence from a double machine learning model

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Urban Planning
• Economics

Background:

• The relationship between smart city construction (SCC) and urban green development (UGD) remains debated.
• Measuring UGD requires a comprehensive evaluation system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a UGD evaluation index system.
• To examine the causal link between SCC and UGD.
• To investigate the mechanisms through which SCC influences UGD.

Main Methods:

• Development of a UGD evaluation index system with four dimensions: green production, green living, green growth, and green ecology.
• Application of a double machine learning model to assess causality.
• Analysis of panel data from 282 Chinese prefecture-level cities (2011-2021).

Main Results:

• Urban green development (UGD) levels in Chinese cities show a positive trend.
• Smart city construction (SCC) substantially promotes UGD, positively impacting green production, living, and growth.
• SCC enhances UGD via industrial upgrading, resource allocation, information support, and technological innovation.
• The impact of SCC on UGD exhibits regional heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

• Smart city construction is a key driver for achieving urban green development.
• The mechanisms of industrial upgrading, resource allocation, information support, and technological innovation are crucial pathways for SCC to foster UGD.
• Policy interventions should consider regional disparities in smart city development and its impact on green outcomes.