Evaluating Urban Economic Resilience in the Face of Major Public Health Emergencies: A Spatiotemporal Analysis

Zeyu Lin, Shanlang Lin and Jianxing Chen ()
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Zeyu Lin: School of Economic and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Shanlang Lin: School of Economic and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Jianxing Chen: School of Economic and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-22

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted China’s economic stability. This study assesses the economic resilience of 2843 Chinese counties from 2019 to 2021 by constructing a comprehensive evaluation index system. Using the Projection Pursuit Model to generate index weights, we analyze resilience across four key dimensions: resistance, stress, recovery, and innovation. Our analysis reveals that urban economic resilience first declined during the pandemic’s peak before recovering in 2021. Spatially, eastern coastal regions demonstrated stronger resilience, supported by robust infrastructure, advanced industries, and flexible markets. In contrast, central and western regions were less resilient due to their reliance on traditional industries. A deeper sub-dimensional analysis showed that eastern regions consistently outperformed the west across all four metrics. This research establishes a rigorous framework for evaluating urban economic resilience and offers targeted strategies for policymakers to build more resilient cities in the face of future public health emergencies.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; urban economic resilience; evaluation system; spatiotemporal analysis; Projection Pursuit Model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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