Promotion or inhibition? Exploring the influence of the digital economy on urban-rural integration: A case study of yellow River basin

The digital economy actively disrupts the "urban depression effect" and the "wealth gap" between urban and rural areas, playing a crucial role in advancing urban-rural integration. Based on this, a scientifically constructed performance evaluation indicator system for the digital economy and urban-rural integration was developed. Using the Yellow River Basin as an empirical case study area, the projection pursuit model, simulated annealing algorithm and spatial Durbin model were employed to explore the impact of the digital economy on urban-rural integration in the Yellow River Basin from 2011 to 2021. The findings reveal the following: 1) The degree of digital economy and urban-rural integration display a characteristic pattern resembling that of a downstream > midstream > upstream watershed, showcasing discernible spatial correlation features between them. 2) The digital economy in the Yellow River Basin directly fosters urban-rural integration development. Government behavior stand out as the most influential factor in promoting urban-rural integration among the control variables. 3) The impact of the digital economy on urban-rural integration in the Yellow River Basin displays regional heterogeneity, with the most pronounced effects observed in downstream areas. Moreover, the spatial spillover effect of the digital economy exhibits a distinct "good-neighborliness" characteristic. 4) The digital economy in the Yellow River Basin substantially advances urban-rural integration development through the adjustment effect of industrial structure rationalization and the mediating effect of entrepreneurial activity. These research findings shed light on the impact and spatial spillover pathways of the digital economy on urban-rural integration, aligning with the national strategy of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.