Does Smart City Make Residents Healthier? The Impact of Smart City on Public Health in China

• In Event: 20481 - Section on Sociology of Development Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 2. Health and Development

Abstract

In the era of digital intelligence, smart city construction has emerged as a crucial strategy to enhance the efficiency of urban governance and the quality of life for residents. Exploring the impact of smart city construction on the physical and mental health of residents is of both theoretical significance and practical value. Based on the 2014-2020 data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this paper constructs an index of smart city construction levels and estimates the impact of smart city construction on residents' health level and the difference in marginal effects. Smart city construction has a significant positive effect on residents' physical health. Smart city construction has an overall positive effect on residents' mental health, but there are potential risk factors. Endogeneity and robustness tests were conducted to provide strong support for the above conclusions. Heterogeneity analyses showed that the marginal effect of smart city construction on residents' health was differentiated by the dimensions of urban-rural area, educational attainment and digital inclusion. Within the social ecological theory, this paper explores the multi-dimensional impacts of smart city construction on residents' physical and mental health, and identifies potential risks for health inequalities. It offers a theoretical foundation and empirical support for achieving more appropriate and inclusive smart city design and promoting health equity.

Authors

• Mengran Chai, Wuhan University

• Lin Wu