The Impact of Manufacturing Upgrading on Urban Synergistic Sustainable Development: A Case of the Yangtze River Delta Region, China

Promoting urban synergistic sustainable development (USSD) is essential for accelerating the formation of a new development pattern and is crucial for guaranteeing sustainable economic growth. To promote urban synergistic sustainable development, enhancing the industrial division of labor and leveraging the spatial spillover effect of manufacturing upgrading (MU) are vital. Using panel data from 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region (YRDr) of China, this study explores the impact and mechanism of MU on USSD via adoption of a static spatial panel Durbin model, a dynamic spatial panel Durbin model, and a moderating effect model. The results reveal that in terms of spatial patterns, both MU and USSD in the YRDr exhibited increasing trends during the sample period. MU significantly promoted USSD in both the short term and long term. Additionally, increases in urbanization and financial and government intervention levels significantly impacted USSD, whereas the primary education level significantly negatively impacted USSD. Capital factors and human factors had positive moderating effects on MU to drive the USSD of the YRDr. Therefore, it is necessary to target strategies to be adopted to promote MU, optimize the allocation of regional factors to reduce regional differences, and promote urban synergistic sustainable development.