Assessing the Impact of Climate-Resilient City Development on Urban Sustainability: Evidence from China

Wenchong He (), Xinrui Guo and Congwen Zhang
Additional contact information
Wenchong He: College of Business and Economics, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
Xinrui Guo: College of Business and Economics, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
Congwen Zhang: College of Business and Economics, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-26

Abstract: Developing a climate-resilient city (CRC) is a crucial strategy to improve the integrated adaptability of urban areas, enhance their livability, and fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The paper utilizes panel data from 298 cities at or above the prefecture level in China, spanning from 2007 to 2022. Treating the 2017 CRC pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment, this study applies a difference-in-differences (DID) model to evaluate its effects and mechanisms on urban sustainable development by comparing changes in outcomes between pilot and non-pilot cities over time. The research indicated that the establishment of CRC significantly improves urban sustainable development, with this impact being more pronounced in regions characterized by inadequate infrastructure, lower administrative capacity, and low extreme climate risk. Mechanism analysis reveals that industrial structure optimization and talent attraction serve as primary channels, while green technology innovation and heightened public environmental awareness provide complementary support. These mechanisms jointly reinforce the effectiveness of the CRC policy. Furthermore, CRC implementation generates positive geographical spillover effects, enhancing sustainability in neighboring cities through demonstration effects and policy diffusion. This paper offers an empirical foundation for advancing the pilot initiatives of climate-resilient urban development and presents policy recommendations for the expedited advancement of sustainable urban growth.

Keywords: climate-resilient city construction; difference-in-differences model; urban sustainable development; mediation effect; climate change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4381/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4381/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:10:p:4381-:d:1654023

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().