Impact of the pilot policy for constructing climate resilient cities on urban resilience.

Constructing climate resilient cities is an important measure to enhance urban resilience, improve urban livability, and promote sustainable development. Based on this, this study conducted a quantitative assessment using panel data from 268 Chinese cities at or above prefecture level from 2010 to 2020, utilized the 2017 pilot policy for constructing climate resilient cities as a quasi experiment, and employed a difference-in-differences (DID) model to examine its impact on urban resilience. Furthermore, the study conducted quantitative evaluations from different perspectives, including heterogeneity analysis, mechanism analysis, and spatial effect analysis. The results indicated that: 1 The pilot policy could effectively promote urban resilience, and this conclusion still held after conducting a series of robustness tests, including winsorized regression, propensity score matching, time placebo, and individual placebo. 2 Based on the analysis of economic development heterogeneity and water resource heterogeneity, the effects of the pilot policy were more significant in economically developed regions and regions with moderate water resources endowment. 3 The cultivation of human capital and investment in resilient infrastructure were important channels through which the pilot policy promoted urban resilience. 4 In geographically neighboring cities, a city's resilience could be promoted by the policy, indicating the existence of a positive spatial spillover effect. Therefore, the government should continue its efforts to build climate resilient cities, increase institutional support, summarize the experience from the pilot program, and release the second round of pilot projects at the right time. Also, it is important to select the best strategy to construct climate resilient cities based on the characteristics of each region. Next, a multi-pronged approach should be adopted to further strengthen the effects that human capital, green innovation, and climate resilient infrastructure have as a link. At last, the government should amplify the policy effects of pilot cities, establish a regionally coordinated development mechanism for climate resilient policy, and continue to promote the construction of climate resilient cities towards high-quality development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]