Does new-type urbanization curb haze pollution? A case study from China

The rapid urbanization process has led to a high concentration of population and economic activities in urban space, thus leading to severe environmental pollution. The concept of new-type urbanization has been proposed in China to combat the pollution associated with urbanization, whereas little literature has focused on correctly identifying the impact and its influencing mechanism of new-type urbanization on haze pollution to improve the quality of urban development. Therefore, this study analyzed the theoretical mechanism of the impact of new-type urbanization on haze pollution, uses Chinese provincial-level panel data from 2007 to 2018, and employed a STIRPAT model with interaction effects for empirical testing. The results found that new-type urbanization significantly reduced haze pollution levels nationwide and in the central and western regions during the study period. In terms of the influencing mechanism, new-type urbanization reduced haze pollution by optimizing the level of intensive urban land use, upgrading the industrial structure and enhancing technological innovation. However, the influencing mechanism was regionally heterogeneous. This research provides a theoretical basis for better implementation of new-type urbanization construction and effective promotion of green and sustainable urban development.