Driving Land Green Use Efficiency Through Urban Digital Transformation: Mechanisms and Spatial Effects in China

Digital technology has been recognized as a pivotal force in optimizing land use patterns, particularly in enhancing the green utilization efficiency of urban land. In this study, panel data from 219 cities across China covering the 2013–2023 period are used to investigate the impact of urban digital transformation (UDT) on land green use efficiency (LGUE) and the underlying mechanisms involved. The spatiotemporal evolution of LGUE demonstrates a clear upward trend over time and hot spots of LGUE are mainly concentrated in coastal cities. The findings reveal that UDT significantly enhances LGUE, a conclusion that remains robust across multiple checks and an instrumental variable approach. Mechanism analyses indicate that a market-oriented allocation of data elements, green technological innovation, and optimization of the labor skill structure serve as plausible channels driving this improvement. Importantly, spatial Durbin model analysis confirms a significant positive spatial spillover effect, indicating that local digital transformation also radiates to benefit the green land utilization of neighboring cities. Finally, heterogeneity analyses reveal that the positive effects of digital transformation on LGUE are notably more pronounced in larger cities and those with advanced internet development. Furthermore, the impacts exhibit structural divergence across specific digital dimensions, with economic digitalization significantly driving LGUE, whereas social digitalization exerts a negative effect.