Pathways to a Cleaner Countryside: How Urban Development Affects Agricultural Pollution

Addressing agricultural non-point source pollution has become a pressing issue for social development, and new-type urbanization offers novel approaches to resolving it. We utilize an evaluation framework for New-type Urbanization (NTU) and employ provincial-level data spanning 2011–2023 to test the specific effects and mechanisms of NTU on agricultural nonpoint sources. Findings reveal that new-type urbanization mitigates agricultural non-point source pollution, with this effect being more significant in regions outside major grain-producing areas, those facing greater fiscal pressures, and areas with higher public environmental awareness. An in-depth analysis of the underlying mechanisms indicates that NTU reduces agricultural nonpoint source pollution primarily through three pathways: strengthened environmental regulations, improved labor force quality, and technological upgrades in agricultural pollution prevention and control. We also consider the potential spatial effects of NTU and find that it generates spillovers into neighboring areas. Our research offers novel insights for addressing rural pollution management during urban expansion.