Does the new-type urbanization policy promote green technological innovation? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China

Assessing the impact of new-type urbanization (NTU) on green technological innovation reveals how effectively the policy fosters sustainable growth and technological advancement. This helps policymakers optimize strategies to promote eco-friendly innovation and align national urbanization efforts with broader environmental goals. Using panel data from 274 cities in China from 2009 to 2021, this study regards a NTU pilot as a quasi-natural experiment and uses the multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) method to examine the impact of the policy on green technological innovation.Its heterogeneous effects are examined from the perspective of economic development, industrial structure, resource endowment, and the foundation of green technological innovation. Based on this, industrial structure and research and development (R&D) expenditure are considered as moderating variables to analyse the impact mechanism. The findings revealed that (1) NTU policy has significantly improved the level of green technological innovation; (2) NTU policy promotes green technological innovation by optimizing industrial structure and improving R&D expenditure; and (3) in non-resource-based cities and cities with higher economic levels, advanced industrial structures, and a solid foundation for green innovation, the NTU policy has significant innovation effects.