Digital Transformation-Driven Ecological Innovation and Urban Sustainable Development: Evidence from Chinese Cities

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has fundamentally transformed urban development patterns, creating unprecedented opportunities for ecological innovation and sustainable development. This study investigates the impact mechanisms of digital transformation on urban sustainable development through ecological innovation, using panel data from 96 Chinese cities spanning 2015-2023. We construct comprehensive indices for digital transformation, ecological innovation, and sustainable development using principal component analysis, and employ multiple regression models to examine their relationships. Our findings reveal that digital transformation significantly promotes ecological innovation (β=0.973,β=0.973, p<0.001,p<0.001), which in turn enhances urban sustainable development (β=0.921,β=0.921, p<0.001p<0.001). Mediation analysis demonstrates that ecological innovation serves as a crucial mediator, accounting for 87.4% of the total effect of digital transformation on sustainable development. The study also identifies significant regional heterogeneity, with stronger effects observed in eastern regions and larger cities. These results provide empirical evidence for the "digital-ecological-sustainable" development paradigm and offer important policy implications for promoting urban sustainability through digital-ecological synergy. The research contributes to the literature by integrating digital transformation theory, ecological modernization theory, and sustainable development theory into a unified analytical framework, while providing practical guidance for policymakers seeking to leverage digital technologies for environmental and sustainable development goals.