Special economic zones and land misallocation: Evidence from Chinese cities
利用2003-2018年中国城市数据，研究发现经济特区加剧了土地错配，导致实际城市GDP年均损失0.22%，其根源在于地方政府调整土地供应策略和特区与政府干预的捆绑。
This study examines the impact of China’s special economic zones (SEZs) on land misallocation, primarily using city-level data for China from 2003 to 2018. The findings indicate that establishing SEZs exacerbates land misallocation by over-allocating land to cities, resulting in an average annual loss of 0.22% of real urban GDP. After establishing SEZs, local governments change their land supply strategies by adjusting supply mode, object, and preference, reducing land allocation efficiency. Thus, the bundling of SEZs and government intervention is an essential cause of land misallocation. Furthermore, the geographical location of SEZs affects land allocation efficiency through the spatial form of cities. Its spatial separation from the core urban area is an essential cause of land misallocation. This study has important implications for more effective planning and implementation of SEZs. • Study SEZs’ impact on land allocation using a dataset of most Chinese cities. • Provide causal evidence of SEZs’ land allocation impact in the Chinese context. • China’s SEZs widen land misallocation, causing avg annual loss of 0.22% in real GDP. • Bundling of SEZs and government intervention is a key cause of land misallocation. • SEZs’ land allocation impact is influenced by their location relative to urban cores.