Can the National Public Cultural Service System Demonstration Zone Promote the Sustainable Development of Urban Culture?

The public cultural service system is a crucial component of urban culture and a key driver of cultural vitality and sustainable cultural development. This study leverages the “quasi-natural experiment” created by the establishment of National Public Cultural Service System Demonstration Zones to evaluate their impact on the sustainable development of urban culture. Using panel data from 295 prefecture-level cities between 2008 and 2019 and employing the difference-in-differences method, the study assesses how these zones influence cultural vitality. The findings reveal that the creation of these demonstration zones significantly boosts cultural investment and support, enhances cultural vitality, and promotes sustainable urban cultural development. Over time, this positive impact strengthens, particularly through increased cultural input driven by residents’ consumption patterns and urban economic growth. Additionally, the policy effects vary across regions and cities, depending on the level of tertiary industry development.