Pathways to urban sustainable development from a set-theoretic perspective: evidence from the government–market–public–technology framework

Optimizing institutional environments to enhance urban eco-efficiency (UEE) remains a critical governance challenge. Given the complexity and temporal dynamics of institutional systems, this study proposes an innovative government–market–public–technology (GMPT) framework embedded with temporal dimensions, integrating complex systems theory and new institutional economics. By combining fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), necessary condition analysis (NCA), and data envelopment analysis (DEA), we conduct a configurational analysis of institutional configurations and UEE across 279 Chinese cities in 2011 and 2020. The findings reveal that no single institutional element is necessary for high UEE. Instead, governments and markets provide robust foundational support in high-efficiency configurations, while social participation and technological innovation depend on systemic synergies. Through configurational analysis, we identify seven distinct institutional patterns. This study bridges the governance dynamics layer and empirical patterns at the phenomenal layer, offering a roadmap to resolve growth–sustainability tensions in the digital era.