大城市更有利于数字化发展吗?——基于LandScan人口数据库的实证研究

Are Big cities more conducive to digital growth?——An Empirical Study Based on LandScan Population Database

在当前城镇化进程与“数字中国”建设不断推进的背景下,本文基于2011—2019年LandScan人口空间分布栅格数据以及中国城市层面的面板数据,从区域知识吸收能力和劳动要素错配的视角分析了城市规模对数字化发展的影响及其作用机理。研究发现,城市规模的扩大可以显著促进城市数字化发展,地理地形因素、清朝城墙面积作为工具变量回归以及一系列稳健性检验进一步支持了该结论。机制分析表明,城市规模可以通过提高区域知识吸收能力以及缓解劳动力要素错配促进当地数字化发展。进一步研究发现,城市规模对数字化发展的促进作用在较高数字经济投资水平地区、中心城市、非老工业城市以及中等规模城市的效果更为明显。本文研究解释了新发展格局下城市规模对数字化发展的影响差异和内在机理,为加速城镇化发展、数字化发展以及探究城市转型方向的相关政策制定提供了实证依据与重要的经验启示。

Based on LandScan data of population spatial distribution in 2011-2019 and panel data of Chinese cities, this paper analyzes the relationship between urbanization and digital China, this paper analyzes the influence of city size on digital development and its mechanism from the perspective of Regional Knowledge Absorption Capacity and mismatch of labor factors. It is found that the enlargement of city scale can promote the development of city digitalization, which is further supported by the factors of geography and topography, the regression of wall area in Qing Dynasty as a tool variable and a series of robustness tests. Mechanism analysis shows that city scale can promote local digital development by improving regional knowledge absorption capacity and alleviating labor force mismatch. Further research shows that the effect of City scale on digital development is more obvious in eastern cities, central cities, non-old industrial cities and medium-sized cities.This paper studies and explains the difference and internal mechanism of city scale’s influence on digital development under the new development pattern, it provides the empirical basis and important experience enlightenment for accelerating the development of urbanization, digitalization and urban transformation.