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• A comprehensive indicator system is constructed to evaluate green development. • Urbanization shows nonlinear effects on urban green development. • Spatial disparities exist in the impact of urbanization on green development. • Green technology innovation, green life consumption and infrastructure construction form crucial mechanisms. The process of rapid urbanization has exerted immense pressure on the ecological environment of cities. Consequently, achieving green development during urbanization has emerged as the new focal point. Based on 2011–2020 panel data of 110 cities at the prefecture level and above in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB), this study aims to investigate the impact of urbanization on urban green development. Specifically, this study analyzes the spatial and temporal evolution patterns of urbanization and urban green development, and examines the spatial disparities and influencing mechanisms of urbanization on urban green development with the help of panel econometric model and mediation model. The results verify that the urbanization and urban green development levels in the YREB have generally improved, but there are significant differences across cities in terms of their aggregate level and growth rate. The relationship between urbanization and urban green development in the YREB follows a "U" shaped curve, where urbanization initially hinders green development but later facilitates it. Spatially, cities located in the middle and lower reaches, as well as urban agglomerations, benefit from location and organization advantages that amplify the effect of urbanization on urban green development. Conversely, cities in the upper reaches and non-urban agglomerations, with their advantages in late development, have the great potential to promote urban green development at a lower threshold. Moreover, Urbanization influences urban green development through non-linear mediating effects. As the level of urbanization increases, green life consumption (GLC) and green technology innovation (GTI) gradually replace infrastructure construction (IC) as the primary mechanisms driving urban green development in the YREB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The innovation network is the frontier of economic geography, although the drivers and the underlying mechanism of the evolution of this innovation network are not clear. This study employs the Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM) and Stochastic Actor-Oriented Model (SAOM) to analyse the evolution of the drivers and the formation of the innovation network in China's photovoltaic industry, as a case study. Results show that, organizational proximity plays a direct and important role, and innovative actors tend to cooperate with actors in the same group. However, geographic proximity is not the most important influencing factor but indirectly affects the evolution of the innovation network through other proximity (organizational and cognizant). When a distance threshold of 100 km is used, organizational proximity plays a more important role as the geographic distance increases. • The innovation network of China's photovoltaic industry is becoming increasingly optimized and the activities of innovation cooperation among innovation actors are becoming increasingly frequent. • The spatial distance between the innovation actors in China's photovoltaic industry is expanding, with more and more innovation cooperation in the links of the industry chain. • Innovation ability and organizational proximity play key roles in the evolution of China's photovoltaic industry innovation network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...