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Balancing economic development and ecological protection is a dilemma that requires a solution. The construction of ecological industrial parks is expected to be the key to resolving this situation. Based on panel data from 276 prefecture-level cities in China spanning from 2004 to 2019, this paper presents a multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model to identify the causal relationship between eco-industrial parks and the development of urban green spaces. The research indicates that the creation of eco-industrial parks can significantly promote the sustainable development of urban areas, with a policy promotion effect of approximately 0.0279. The analysis of the mechanism indicates that the implementation of a green industrial policy can enhance the level of sustainable development in cities. This can be accomplished by promoting eco-friendly innovation, facilitating the optimization of industrial structures, and strengthening environmental regulations. A heterogeneity analysis reveals that the impact of eco-industrial parks on promoting green development is more significant in cities located in the eastern and northern regions, as well as those with abundant human capital and financial resources. Conversely, cities situated in the central and western regions, as well as those with low levels of financial resources and non-human capital, tend to experience limited benefits from policies. The conclusions of this study can provide guidance for urban transformation and facilitate sustainable development. Moreover, these parks can function as case studies and provide valuable reference experiences for countries that have not yet established eco-industrial parks.
He et al. (Sun,) studied this question.