The Impact of Computing Power Infrastructure on Urban Land Green Use Efficiency in China

Abstract

Against the dual backdrop of tightening land resource constraints and the green transition, this study examines the effect of computing power infrastructure (CPI) on urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE). Using panel data from 283 Chinese cities at the prefecture level and above from 2008 to 2023, this study treats the operational commencement of National Supercomputing Centers as a quasi-natural experiment. Its effect is identified using a staggered difference-in-differences approach. The results show that CPI significantly improves ULGUE, and this finding remains robust across a series of robustness checks. Mechanism tests indicate that CPI operates mainly by alleviating industrial land price distortion and promoting urban green industry development. The land price channel is reflected in reduced underpricing of industrial land. The green industry channel is reflected in increased entry and land purchases by green firms, together with increased exit and reduced land purchases by pollution-intensive firms. Government attention to digital development significantly strengthens the effect of CPI. This reinforcing effect mainly stems from attention to digital applications rather than attention to digital technologies alone. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive effect of CPI is stronger in areas with greater population agglomeration. It is also stronger in cities with stronger information technology talent endowments and lower initial pollution intensity. This study extends research on the economic and environmental effects of CPI from the perspective of land factors. It also provides empirical evidence for coordinating CPI development with the green transition of urban land.