Spatial analysis of the digital economy’s influence on urban sustainable development: A decade-long study of Chinese prefecture-level cities

Abstract

• Developed a comprehensive USD evaluation index using the DPSIR framework. • Mapped DE and USD dynamics, highlighting their evolving interplay. • Identified significant DE contributions to USD enhancement. • Unveiled spatial spillover effects of DE on USD up to 300 km. • Offered policy insights to harness DE for sustainable urban growth. Urban Sustainable Development (USD) is crucial for social advancement, and the rise of the Digital Economy (DE) offers potential pathways to achieve it. This study has employed the DPSIR framework and an entropy-based approach to evaluate the DE and USD across 284 Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2011 to 2020. Using the Spatial Durbin Model, the results have revealed that DE significantly enhances USD and has a spatial spillover effect of up to 300 km. The eastern region, as well as the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions, show stronger spillover effects than the central and western regions and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. These findings have provided insights for policymakers to leverage digital advancements to promote urban sustainability.