Environmental Judicial System Reform and Urban Green Land Use Efficiency in Urban Land Use Systems: Evidence from China

Urban land use systems are shaped by market forces, institutional arrangements, and planning regulations. Based on panel data from 266 Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2006 to 2021, this study treats the staggered establishment of environmental courts as a quasi-natural experiment and applies a difference-in-differences approach to examine its impact on urban green land use efficiency. The results indicate that the establishment of environmental courts significantly increases urban green land use efficiency. The effects are more pronounced in cities facing greater environmental pressure, exhibiting more carbon-intensive development patterns, and possessing stronger legal foundations. Mechanism tests suggest that the effect operates primarily through strengthened environmental regulation, enhanced green innovation, and adjustments in local energy consumption structures.