Does Multidimensional Urbanization Help Reduce Environmental Pollution?—Evidence from Three Major Urban Agglomerations in the Yangtze River Economic Belt

Lijie Wei, Yu Cheng, Zhibao Wang (), Zhilong Pan and Guangzhi Qi
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Lijie Wei: College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
Yu Cheng: College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
Zhibao Wang: College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
Zhilong Pan: College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
Guangzhi Qi: College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-24

Abstract: China’s rapid urbanization has spurred economic growth and posed environmental challenges. We investigate the relationship between multidimensional urbanization and environmental pollution by a fixed effect model based on the panel data of 70 cities in three major urban agglomerations in the Yangtze River Economic Belt during 2005–2020. Overall, environmental pollution aggravates and then decreases in three major urban agglomerations, which is closely related to China’s environmental pollution control policies. Environmental pollution shows obvious spatial heterogeneities by five levels in three major urban agglomerations, which have been gradually changed from high-value levels to low-value levels. In the Yangtze River Economic Belt, environmental pollution is dominated by “High–High” and “Low–Low” clusters. Among them, “High–High” clusters move eastwards, while “Low–Low” clusters gradually concentrate southeastwards. Multidimensional urbanization helps to alleviate regional environmental pollution. Economic, social, and land urbanization reduces environmental pollution in three urban agglomerations to a certain extent. Population urbanization has a non-significant effect on environmental pollution. Social urbanization has improved environmental pollution in the Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration (CC) and the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), which is increased by population urbanization in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River (MYR) and is improved by comprehensive urbanization in CC.

Keywords: multidimensional urbanization; environmental pollution; urban agglomeration; the Yangtze River Economic Belt (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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