{"title":"Effects of National Development Zones on Economic Growth and Urban Sprawl in China","authors":"Di Lyu, Chuanming Zhang, Chunlai Yuan","doi":"10.1007/s12061-025-09693-z","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>As a major regional economic policy, national development zones (NDZs) aim to promote China’s economic growth while also profoundly changing the spatial layout of cities. However, the effects of this policy urgently require comprehensive evaluation. Using the data of 225 cities from 2003 to 2017, this paper investigates the relationship and transmission mechanism among NDZs, economic growth, and urban sprawl using staggered difference-in differences (DID) model. The study finds that: First, the NDZs promote regional economic growth, but at the same time exacerbates urban sprawl. Specifically, the NDZs promote economic growth by increasing industrial scale, and increase urban sprawl by accelerating industrial and residential land development. Second, for NDZs with areas ranging between 500 ha and 1500 ha, the government faces a more difficult trade-off between the goals of promoting economic growth and optimizing urban layout. In the eastern city, the NDZs have a more significant impact on economic growth, while in the western city, its impact on urban sprawl is more pronounced. In addition, economic and technological development zones (ETDZs) contributes more to economic growth, while high-tech industrial development zones (TIDZs) has a greater promoting effect on urban sprawl. Finally, according to the result of the threshold effect, moderate urban sprawl can fully unleash the economic growth-boosting effect of NDZs. This study helps to accurately assess the impact of NDZs on urban economic growth and spatial structure, and provides some policy directions for the promotion of high-quality economic development and new urbanization.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":46392,"journal":{"name":"Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12061-025-09693-z","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
As a major regional economic policy, national development zones (NDZs) aim to promote China’s economic growth while also profoundly changing the spatial layout of cities. However, the effects of this policy urgently require comprehensive evaluation. Using the data of 225 cities from 2003 to 2017, this paper investigates the relationship and transmission mechanism among NDZs, economic growth, and urban sprawl using staggered difference-in differences (DID) model. The study finds that: First, the NDZs promote regional economic growth, but at the same time exacerbates urban sprawl. Specifically, the NDZs promote economic growth by increasing industrial scale, and increase urban sprawl by accelerating industrial and residential land development. Second, for NDZs with areas ranging between 500 ha and 1500 ha, the government faces a more difficult trade-off between the goals of promoting economic growth and optimizing urban layout. In the eastern city, the NDZs have a more significant impact on economic growth, while in the western city, its impact on urban sprawl is more pronounced. In addition, economic and technological development zones (ETDZs) contributes more to economic growth, while high-tech industrial development zones (TIDZs) has a greater promoting effect on urban sprawl. Finally, according to the result of the threshold effect, moderate urban sprawl can fully unleash the economic growth-boosting effect of NDZs. This study helps to accurately assess the impact of NDZs on urban economic growth and spatial structure, and provides some policy directions for the promotion of high-quality economic development and new urbanization.
期刊介绍：
Description
The journal has an applied focus: it actively promotes the importance of geographical research in real world settings
It is policy-relevant: it seeks both a readership and contributions from practitioners as well as academics
The substantive foundation is spatial analysis: the use of quantitative techniques to identify patterns and processes within geographic environments
The combination of these points, which are fully reflected in the naming of the journal, establishes a unique position in the marketplace.
RationaleA geographical perspective has always been crucial to the understanding of the social and physical organisation of the world around us. The techniques of spatial analysis provide a powerful means for the assembly and interpretation of evidence, and thus to address critical questions about issues such as crime and deprivation, immigration and demographic restructuring, retailing activity and employment change, resource management and environmental improvement. Many of these issues are equally important to academic research as they are to policy makers and Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy aims to close the gap between these two perspectives by providing a forum for discussion of applied research in a range of different contexts
Topical and interdisciplinaryIncreasingly government organisations, administrative agencies and private businesses are requiring research to support their ‘evidence-based’ strategies or policies. Geographical location is critical in much of this work which extends across a wide range of disciplines including demography, actuarial sciences, statistics, public sector planning, business planning, economics, epidemiology, sociology, social policy, health research, environmental management.
FocusApplied Spatial Analysis and Policy will draw on applied research from diverse problem domains, such as transport, policing, education, health, environment and leisure, in different international contexts. The journal will therefore provide insights into the variations in phenomena that exist across space, it will provide evidence for comparative policy analysis between domains and between locations, and stimulate ideas about the translation of spatial analysis methods and techniques across varied policy contexts. It is essential to know how to measure, monitor and understand spatial distributions, many of which have implications for those with responsibility to plan and enhance the society and the environment in which we all exist.
Readership and Editorial BoardAs a journal focused on applications of methods of spatial analysis, Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy will be of interest to scholars and students in a wide range of academic fields, to practitioners in government and administrative agencies and to consultants in private sector organisations. The Editorial Board reflects the international and multidisciplinary nature of the journal.
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