Liu Jiaojiao, Liu Shuai, Xu Xiaolin, Zou Qi
School of Journalism and Information Communication, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Non-Traditional Security Institute, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Mar 17;19(6):3567. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19063567.
Background: Digital transformation has become a key intervention strategy for the global response to the COVID-19 epidemic, and digital technology is helping cities recover from the COVID-19 epidemic. However, the effects of urban digital transformation on the recovery from the COVID-19 epidemic still lack mechanism analyses and empirical testing. This study aimed to explain the theoretical mechanism of urban digital transformation on the recovery from the COVID-19 epidemic and to test its effectiveness using an empirical analysis. Methods: This study, using a theoretical and literature-based analysis, summarizes the impact mechanisms of urban digital transformation on the recovery of cities from the COVID-19 epidemic. A total of 83 large- and medium-sized cities from China are included in the empirical research sample, covering most major cities in China. The ordinary least squares (OLS) method is adopted to estimate the effect of China’s urban digitalization level on population attraction in the second quarter of 2020. Results: The theoretical analysis found that urban digital transformation improves the ability of cities to recover from the COVID-19 epidemic by promoting social communication, collaborative governance, and resilience. The main findings of the empirical analysis show that the digital level of a city has a significant positive effect on urban population attraction (p < 0.001). Conclusions: A positive relationship was found between urban digital transformation and the rapid recovery of cities from the COVID-19 epidemic. Digital inventions for social communication, collaborative governance, and urban resilience are an effective way of fighting the COVID-19 emergency.
数字化转型已成为全球应对新冠疫情的关键干预策略，数字技术正助力城市从新冠疫情中复苏。然而，城市数字化转型对新冠疫情复苏的影响仍缺乏机制分析和实证检验。本研究旨在阐释城市数字化转型对新冠疫情复苏的理论机制，并通过实证分析检验其有效性。方法：本研究采用基于理论和文献的分析方法，总结城市数字化转型对城市从新冠疫情中复苏的影响机制。实证研究样本包括中国83个大中型城市，覆盖了中国大部分主要城市。采用普通最小二乘法（OLS）估计2020年第二季度中国城市数字化水平对人口吸引力的影响。结果：理论分析发现，城市数字化转型通过促进社会沟通、协同治理和恢复力，提高了城市从新冠疫情中复苏的能力。实证分析的主要结果表明，城市数字化水平对城市人口吸引力有显著的正向影响（p < 0.001）。结论：发现城市数字化转型与城市从新冠疫情中快速复苏之间存在正相关关系。用于社会沟通、协同治理和城市恢复力的数字发明是应对新冠疫情紧急情况的有效方式。
