Environmental Regulation and Economic Resilience in Resource-Based Cities: Evidence from 114 Chinese Cities

Resource-based cities (RBCs) face growing challenges in enhancing economic resilience during the low-carbon transition. Using panel data from 114 Chinese RBCs spanning 2000–2023, this study examines the relationship between environmental regulation (ER) and economic resilience through mediation, moderation, and spatial econometric analyses. The results show a positive association between ER and economic resilience, significant at the 10% level in the fully specified model. Bootstrap results reveal significant negative indirect effects through industrial diversification and specialization, whereas the indirect effect through industrial upgrading is insignificant. Artificial intelligence positively moderates the relationship between ER and economic resilience. Spatial analysis further identifies heterogeneous spillover effects, with indirect effects differing in direction and significance across spatial weighting matrices. These findings highlight the importance of considering industrial restructuring, technological conditions, and regional interactions when formulating environmental governance policies for RBCs.