Urban Land Use Efficiency Enhancement Through Regional Economic Cooperation Network in Urban Agglomeration: Evidence From Yangtze River Delta, China

Understanding how regional cooperation shapes urban land use efficiency is essential for promoting sustainable development of urban agglomeration. Existing literature mainly focuses on the direct impact of regional economic cooperation on urban land use efficiency while overlooking the indirect effects transmitted through intercity network structures. This study investigates the effects of regional economic cooperation network on urban land use efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration between 2010 and 2019. Utilizing a modified gravity model to quantify regional economic cooperation networks and a Slack-Based Measure method to evaluate urban land use efficiency, we reveal a significant and positive influence of regional economic cooperation networks on land use efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta. The findings suggest that cities leveraging economic interconnectivity networks not only enhance their land-use efficiency but also benefit from network spillover effects. These insights provide valuable implications for policymakers and urban designers seeking to promote economic development while ensuring the sustainable use of urban land resources.