From civic voices to greener cities: informal governance and city-level agri‑sustainability

Urban authorities globally are exploring how civic engagement can catalyze sustainable food systems and climate resilience. This study investigates how public environmental concern (PEC)—a form of informal regulation driving urban governance—affects city-level agri-sustainability in 235 Chinese cities (2011–2022). Using city‑level microdata, two‑way fixed effects models, and wind‑speed as an instrument to address endogeneity, we find that PEC promotes city-level agri-sustainability. Mechanism analysis shows PEC drives (1) accelerated adoption of agricultural green technology innovation and (2) expanded government environmental protection support. Spatial heterogeneity is evident: the largest gains occur in major grain‑belt cities, southern cities of the Hu Huanyong Line, and coastal zones. Our findings demonstrate that integrating citizen monitoring platforms into urban food‑system planning can amplify formal sustainability interventions, advancing SDG11 and SDG 2. We recommend that urban planners embed participatory governance in agri‑policy design to harmonize food security, public health, and climate adaptation in urban area.