Impact of Free Trade (Pilot) Zone Establishment on Urban Land Use Efficiency—Empirical Evidence from Cities in China

Siwen Xia, Jiaying Han, Anglu Li, Penghao Ye () and Huarong Zhang
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Siwen Xia: School of Business Administration, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan 430073, China
Jiaying Han: International Business School, Hainan Open Economy Research Institute, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Anglu Li: International Business School, Hainan Open Economy Research Institute, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Penghao Ye: International Business School, Hainan Open Economy Research Institute, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Huarong Zhang: School of Business Administration, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan 430073, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-25

Abstract: The establishment of the Free Trade (Pilot) Zone (FTZ) is a new attempt by China to embark on modern sustainable urban planning and governmental territorial management at the development stage of a high-quality economy. As urban lands serve as the limited resource foundation for civic production and livelihoods, enhancing land use efficiency becomes a key measure to facilitate metropolitan economies of high quality. Utilizing panel data from prefecture-level cities spanning from 2005 to 2021, this study constructs a multi-period difference-in-differences model to explore the impact of FTZs on urban land use efficiency (ULUE). The results indicate that FTZs can significantly enhance urban land use efficiency, with a more pronounced policy effect observed in central cities, inland cities, and cities with higher urbanization rates. Furthermore, the FTZs also demonstrate spatial spillover effects on urban land use efficiency. This study holds great significance for relevant government departments in formulating policies to optimize land resource allocation, promote FTZ development, and foster high-quality urban planning and territorial management.

Keywords: free trade (pilot) zone; urban land use efficiency; multi-period difference-in-differences; heterogeneity analysis; spatial spillover effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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