Against the backdrop of the accelerating process of new-type urbanization, how to ensure land ecological security while promoting economic and social development has become a key issue for the sustainable development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Taking panel data from 11 provinces and municipalities along the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2000 to 2024 as the research sample, this study constructs an evaluation index system for new-type urbanization and land ecological security. The comprehensive scores are measured using the entropy-weight method, and a mediation effect model is employed to systematically analyze the impact mechanisms of new-type urbanization on land ecological security. The main findings are as follows: 1) overall, new-type urbanization exerts a significant positive effect on land ecological security; 2) industrial-urban integration serves as an important mediating mechanism, where both the rationalization and advancement of industrial structure significantly enhance land ecological security, with stronger mediating effects observed in the upstream and downstream regions; 3) urban-rural integration exhibits a partial mediating effect at the overall level, particularly pronounced in the downstream region; 4) in terms of spatial linkage effects, technological spillovers significantly contribute to the improvement of land ecological security, while the mediating effect of market potential is not evident; 5) the level of economic development and urban scale have negative impacts on land ecological security. The study concludes that, in advancing new-type urbanization, greater emphasis should be placed on optimizing industrial structure, promoting urban-rural coordinated development, and fostering technological innovation and diffusion to achieve sustainable utilization of land resources and stable maintenance of ecosystems. These findings provide scientific support for the green and high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
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