Assessment of Land Resource Utilization Efficiency, Spatiotemporal Pattern, and Network Characteristics in Resource-Based Regions: A Case Study of Shanxi Province

Resource-based regions face particular challenges in achieving sustainable land-use transformation due to their entrenched development patterns. Through an integrated approach (super-efficiency SBM, Global Moran’s I, synergistic modeling, and SNA), this study analyzes Shanxi Province’s land-use efficiency dynamics (2015–2021), revealing (1) an N-shaped efficiency trajectory with core-periphery polarization stable high-efficiency clusters (Taiyuan/Yangquan/Luliang, mean > 1.1) versus fragmented northern mining zones and stagnant southern regions; (2) deficient spatial coordination (Moran’s I < 0) and failed capital-city spillovers, with only 2/10 cities achieving positive synergy; and (3) network instability (density = 0.14–0.29) featuring paradoxical power shifts in the emerging mining hub Shuozhou (degree = 100) outperforming traditional cores. Based on these findings, this study proposes policy recommendations from the perspective of regional policymakers, focusing on establishing provincial-level land resource utilization planning, promoting coordination among cities in terms of land resource utilization at the municipal level, and improving land resource utilization efficiency through environmental regulations. This study offers a new perspective on regional coordination for sustainable development in resource-based regions by conducting research at the provincial level, advancing policy suggestions at the meso-policy level for the green transformation of resource-based cities, and providing theoretical support for promoting the intensive and efficient utilization of land across cities in specific regions.