Work

Impact of Supportive Policy for Resource-Exhausted Cities on Urban Ecological Resilience: Evidence from China

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Enhancing urban ecological resilience is key to addressing resource exhaustion and urban decline in resource-exhausted cities, as it facilitates the re-coordination of the human-land relationship territorial system. Using panel data from 281 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2023, we apply the multi-period Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to estimate the impact of supportive policies on urban ecological resilience. The results show that supportive policies significantly improve ecological resilience, with pronounced effects on resistance and adaptability, while the effect on recoverability remains limited. Mechanism analysis indicates that the policy works through promoting green innovation, reducing energy consumption, and strengthening environmental governance. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the effects vary across geographic locations and resource types. Supportive policies generate significant spatial spillover effects on enhancing urban ecological resilience and exhibit an evolutionary sequence of radiation, siphoning, equilibrium, and decline as geographic distance increases. These findings inform policy design for ecological restoration and regional coordination in resource-dependent regions.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su18168463

Authors: Liqi Wang, Zining Li, Guozhu Li

Institutions: Liaoning University, Hebei GEO University

Language: English

Topic: Regional resilience and development

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Life on land, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896