How to Narrow the Urban–Rural Gap: Coupling Coordination and Configuration Analysis between Digital Villages and Urban–Rural Integration

Narrowing the urban–rural development gap is a central issue for achieving regional sustainable development. The synergistic development of digital villages and urban–rural integration (DV-URI) offers a novel solution. However, its intrinsic coupling coordination mechanism and realization pathways remain unclear. Therefore, we construct a framework combining a modified coupling degree model with necessary condition analysis and panel qualitative comparative analysis, conducting empirical analysis on China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2012 to 2022. Results suggest the following: (1) While the overall level has improved, significant interprovincial disparities persist, with the eastern region underperforming expectations. (2) No single factor qualifies as a necessary condition for achieving high-level coupling coordination; instead, technological and environmental conditions form the core configuration. (3) Three pathways are identified: government-led reflecting institutional compensation suits regions with weak economies, low technology, and underdeveloped industries; environment-driven highlighting new infrastructure and factor circulation suits regions with balanced economies but infrastructure gaps; and industry–urban integration emphasizing market leadership and industrial extension suits regions with strong economies, mature industries, or distinctive industrial advantages. This study establishes a generalizable framework for assessing DV-URI synergy and reveals the contextual dependency of coupling mechanisms. It offers empirical insights for regions facing similar challenges.