How Does the Built Environment Shape Low-Carbon Consumption in an Energy-Based City? A GIS–SEM Study of Ordos, China

Energy-based cities often develop resource-dependent spatial structures that reinforce carbon-intensive daily routines, yet the mechanisms linking neighborhood form to low-carbon consumption remain unclear. This study investigates the core urban area of Ordos, China, by integrating geographic information system (GIS)-derived 5D built-environment indicators with questionnaire data from 825 residents and estimating a structural equation model (SEM) with bootstrap mediation tests. The results show clear dimension-specific effects. Density, land-use mix, and street connectivity have significant positive total effects on low-carbon consumption behavior and retain significant direct effects after the mediators are introduced, indicating partial mediation. By contrast, distance to transit and shopping accessibility operate mainly through the perceived built environment and psychological factors, with non-significant residual direct effects, indicating full mediation. Psychological factors show the strongest direct association with behavior (β = 0.545, p < 0.001), and the perceived built environment also exerts an indirect effect through psychological factors. Overall, the findings indicate that low-carbon transition in energy-based cities depends not only on spatial upgrading, but also on neighborhood environments that enhance perceived convenience and behavioral readiness.