Policy Strategies for Sustainable Urban Development in the 21st Century: Fresh Empirical Evidence in Global Framework

The increasing demand for natural resources by humans exerts extensive pressure on ecosystems, resulting in resource depletion and environmental degradation. The rapid urbanization also intensifies resource utilization and waste production, thereby worsening ecological conditions. In this regard, the current study aims to investigate the nexus between urbanization, green energy consumption, and environmental degradation, explicitly emphasizing the long-term and short-term changes in urbanization from a global perspective. Based on the data availability from 1994 to 2020, this research employs the ARDL, NARDL, and MTNARDL models to assess the symmetric, asymmetric, and multiple threshold level urbanization effects on the global ecological footprint. The findings indicate that both symmetric and asymmetric changes in urbanization positively impact environmental quality globally. Similarly, threshold urbanization at small, medium, and high levels also produces significant positive results for improving environmental conditions in the long run. Findings also provide evidence that green energy consumption plays a significant role in mitigating the ecological footprint on a global scale. From a policy perspective, this research recommends policymakers and governments prioritize sustainable urban planning and development strategies and promote compact cities, efficient transportation systems, and green infrastructure to achieve sustainable urbanization and mitigate environmental degradation at a global level.