The Livability Effects of Place‐Based Policy: Evidence From the Chinese Civilized City Program

ABSTRACT Almost every city seeks to enhance its attractiveness and competitiveness through city branding. However, there is limited literature analyzing the effectiveness of city branding, let alone examining its impact on urban livability. This paper explores the livability effects of the Chinese national civilized city (NCC) policy, a city branding strategy. We find that this policy significantly improves the urban livability, with an estimated treatment effect of 2.3%. Specifically, it promotes economic prosperity, convenience of living, and social progress, but it has not had a notable impact on the ecological environment. Non‐resource‐based cities and low‐education‐level cities tend to benefit more from this policy. Innovation, investment, and employment are identified as key channels through which this policy can enhance urban livability. Additionally, we provide evidence that this policy can enhance residents' satisfaction and optimism. However, We also find that this policy increases the risk of uncontrollable government debt. The findings of our study may provide valuable insights for city branding efforts in other countries.