Impact and mechanism of urbanization on urban green development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt

The process of rapid urbanization has exerted immense pressure on the ecological environment of cities. Consequently, achieving green development during urbanization has emerged as the new focal point. Based on 2011–2020 panel data of 110 cities at the prefecture level and above in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB), this study aims to investigate the impact of urbanization on urban green development. Specifically, this study analyzes the spatial and temporal evolution patterns of urbanization and urban green development, and examines the spatial disparities and influencing mechanisms of urbanization on urban green development with the help of panel econometric model and mediation model. The results verify that the urbanization and urban green development levels in the YREB have generally improved, but there are significant differences across cities in terms of their aggregate level and growth rate. The relationship between urbanization and urban green development in the YREB follows a “U” shaped curve, where urbanization initially hinders green development but later facilitates it. Spatially, cities located in the middle and lower reaches, as well as urban agglomerations, benefit from location and organization advantages that amplify the effect of urbanization on urban green development. Conversely, cities in the upper reaches and non-urban agglomerations, with their advantages in late development, have the great potential to promote urban green development at a lower threshold. Moreover, Urbanization influences urban green development through non-linear mediating effects. As the level of urbanization increases, green life consumption (GLC) and green technology innovation (GTI) gradually replace infrastructure construction (IC) as the primary mechanisms driving urban green development in the YREB.