How Digital Transformation Affects Urban Resilience: Empirical Evidence from the Yangtze River Delta Region

Huayou Zhu and Manman Qin ()
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Huayou Zhu: School of Economics and Management, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321017, China
Manman Qin: School of Economics and Management, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321017, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-21

Abstract: The current regional development crisis and opportunities coexist. On the one hand, the economic environment is complex and volatile, with more and more crisis shocks testing the resilience of urban development, while on the other hand, the rapid development of science and technology such as the digital economy has affected all areas of the economy, life, and governance of cities, bringing opportunities for urban development. The use of digital transformation to enhance urban resilience is therefore an obvious and important topic. Based on panel data of 27 cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2011 to 2020, this study empirically analyses the impact of digital transformation on urban resilience by constructing a fixed effects model, a mediated effects model and a spatial Du bin model. The study finds that: (1) In terms of time, the urban resilience and digital transformation capacity of the Yangtze River Delta region are both on the rise; From a spatial point of view, the urban resilience of the Yangtze River Delta region basically shows a spatial distribution pattern of “high in the central cities, and low in the peripheral cities”, while the digital transformation capacity basically shows a pattern of “high in the east-central region, and low in the west”. (2) Digital transformation has a significant positive impact on improving urban resilience; (3) Digital transformation enhances urban resilience through three main paths: technological innovation capacity, new economic sector development momentum, and innovation and entrepreneurship development vitality; (4) Digital transformation has a spatial spillover effect on the urban resilience of neighboring regions.

Keywords: digital transformation; urban resilience; Yangtze River Delta region (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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