Influential effect analysis of digital transportation policies on urban economic green transition

Digital transportation (DT) plays an essential part in the development of smart cities. It can provide technical support for urban economic sustainability through an in-depth study of its functioning mechanism. This paper aims to make an influential effect analysis of DT policies on urban economic green transition. Above all, the theoretical driving mechanism for the green transition effect of DT is analyzed, and an indicator “ecology–urbanization coupling coordination degree” (EUCCD) is specifically defined to denote the level of urban development sustainability. Then, the comprehensive levels of both DT and EUCCD in 31 provinces of China are measured based on the entropy method. Finally, fixed-effect panel models and the “System Generalized Method of Moment” are utilized to analyze the influential effect of DT on EUCCD. The analysis results show three aspects of the phenomenon. Firstly, there are significant regional differences in the development level of DT and the economic sustainability of China. Secondly, DT has a promoting effect on economic sustainability, as well as a certain time lag and heterogeneity. Thirdly, the DT policy pilot has a significant positive impact on economic sustainability. Based on the foregoing, implementation paths and policy recommendations for green urbanization transformation in China are presented.