Urban Ecological Culture Construction and the Formation of Residents’ Green Living: Evidence from National Forest City Construction in China

Abstract

Based on the data of 282 cities from 2006 to 2019, this paper conducts a quasi-natural experiment with National Forest City as a proxy variable for urban ecological culture construction (Cul), using the difference-in-differences model to verify its impact and mechanisms on residents’ green living. The results are described as follows. (1) Urban ecological culture construction helps form residents’ green living, specifically, reducing carbon emissions from electricity, transportation, and heating, and this conclusion still holds after a series of robustness tests. (2) Urban ecological culture construction helps form residents’ green living through two mediating channels: enhancing public environmental protection participation and forming green consumption awareness. (3) Confucianism plays a positive moderating role in the process of urban ecological culture construction promoting residents’ green living, while the moderating role of exotic culture is not significant. It is worth mentioning that the role of Confucianism remains unchanged even when the above two cultures coexist. In view of this, this paper argues that urban ecological culture construction matters in forming residents’ green living. The organic integration of modern urban ecological culture construction with the region’s excellent traditional culture is worth noting.

Impact of Forest City Selection on Green Total Factor Productivity in China under the Background of Sustainable Development

“…On the basis of clarifying that the realization of sustainable urban development must take into account both ecological and economic benefits, Taking the construction of a national forest city as the starting point, this paper expounds on the internal mechanism and practical effect of forest city to promote urban green total factor productivity and provides policy reference for building a socialist modern country in an all-round way. (2) This paper reveals the operating mechanism and social benefits of forest cities in depth and strengthens the depth and breadth of relevant empirical research. Using urban macro data, the ecological and economic benefits of forest city construction are confirmed, and the different effects of forest city-induced factor agglomeration, territorial space planning and green technology innovation characteristics are identified.…”

“…The hypothesis H2 is basically verified. Observation column (2) shows that the construction of national forest cities has a significant positive impact on green technology innovation. In other words, the construction of national forest cities will promote new regional green industries, new products and the use of renewable energy sources, eliminate old equipment in enterprises, introduce low-carbon environmental protection equipment and use greener low-carbon energy so as to promote green total factor productivity of enterprises.…”

“…However, with the rapid development of the economy and industrialization, the carrying capacity of China's forestry resources continues to decline, and the illegal occupation of forest land by various types of construction exceeds 2 million mu per year. Environmental degradation, such as forest destruction and decline, has become a key factor hindering China's ecological civilization construction and sustainable development [2]. Specifically, China's industry relies on the traditional high-input, highconsumption, high-pollution mode of production driven by resource factors to rapidly drive economic growth [3].…”

Policies for Equity in Access to Urban Green Space: A Spatial Perspective of the Chinese National Forest City Policy

“…Climate has significantly impacted both the creation of NFCCs and the activities of human production [87]. There is a direct connection between climate and vegetation growth [88].…”