Urban Renewal and Transformation of Residents’ Pro-Environmental Behaviors: Evidence from the Renovation of Old Residential Areas in Chengdu, China

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors,  I have attached some comments. The paper is interesting but should be improved and references to be added in some important points. I think that would be very important to add a map of the locations within China, you have mentioned, and some pictures of the locations and urban situations. These would improve the paper and help the reader to follow it

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English needs to be acurately revised by a native English speaker. Some phrases are unclear and some terms are incorrect

Author Response

Dear reviewer:

We are very grateful for your constructive comments and suggestions for our manuscript entitled “Urban Renewal and Transformation of Residents' Pro-environmental Behaviors: Evidence from the Renovation of Old Residential Areas in Chengdu,  China”. Your comments are valuable and helpful in enhancing our manuscript. All of us authors have carefully read the comments that you have given us, and revised each of theses issues.  In the following, the response to all the comments are provided one by one.If there are any incorrect answers or questions in the  manuscript, please do not hesitate to let us know. 

Comment 1：

The paper is interesting but should be improved and references to be added in some important points. I think that would be very important to add a map of the locations within China, you have mentioned, and some pictures of the locations and urban situations. These would improve the paper and help the reader to follow it

Response:

The authors incorporated three additional figures in response to reviewers' suggestions.  Figure 1 highlights the geographical location of Chengdu within China, alongside the other 20 pilot cities. Moving forward, Figure 2 illustrates that old residential areas in Chengdu are primarily located in the central areas, which were developed first and are the most densely concentrated areas of old residential areas in the city. Lastly, Figure 5 provides insights into the environmental infrastructural enhancements introduced during the renovation of old residential areas. Notably, a transition from mixed garbage cans to four-color segregated bins was observed in public areas post-renovation as a standardized approach across all old residential areas. Furthermore, some areas adopted aesthetically pleasing and cutting-edge waste separation receptacles, complemented by electronic surveillance systems monitoring waste separation practices. Noteworthy innovations include the incorporation of intelligent resource recovery bins in select old residential areas, incentivizing residents to recycle old clothes and paper by offering points exchangeable for gifts or currency.

Furthermore, the authors have incorporated substantial additional literature supporting the research ideas in response to the reviewers' suggestions.

 Comment 2：

The English needs to be acurately revised by a native English speaker. Some phrases are unclear and some terms are incorrect

Response:

Thank you for highlighting language presentation issues in the manuscript. The authors have meticulously corrected errors in phrases and terms, thoroughly reviewing the entire paper for accurate and fluent language expression. Throughout the revision process, we enlisted the assistance of a native English-speaking researcher to revise our manuscript. And we hope the revised manuscript could be acceptable for you.

Comment 3：

The reviewer uploaded a meticulously labeled file highlighting the different issues with the manuscript (peer-review-38102249.v1.pdf).

Response:

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the reviewers for their thorough reading of the article and detailed critique of its issues. The reviewer's main concerns focused on incorporating literature, figures, and eliminating inaccuracies. To clearly inform the reviewers of our revisions, We have submitted the response letter to reviewer 1, which includes extra figures, references, and detailed explanations of the new literature and figures.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear authors,

 

I consider the manuscript to be well described and in line with the themes covered in Sustainability. However, some adjustments and attention to the way some topics were covered are necessary. In order to guide the qualification of the manuscript, I made a series of recommendations per section.

 

1. Introduction:

The introduction clearly defines the objective of the study: to investigate the relationship between urban renewal and the transformation of residents' pro-environmental behaviors in Chengdu, China. It provides a good contextualization of the problem, discussing China's economic development and the need to balance economic growth with ecological protection.

However, the introduction section could provide a more detailed justification for the choice of methodology used in the study, explaining why two-stage difference-in-difference models are appropriate for this type of research.

 

2. Research Background and Impact Mechanisms

The "Research Background and Impact Mechanisms" section is well-structured and informative, providing a solid foundation for the study. However, it could be strengthened with a more detailed literature review, a more in-depth discussion of impact mechanisms, an explicit consideration of research limitations, smoother transitions between subsections, and the inclusion of practical examples. These improvements could increase the clarity, depth, and credibility of the section.

 

3.Description of Data Sources and Variables

The section "3. Description of Data Sources and Variables" is well structured and provides detailed information about the data and variables used in the study. However, it could be strengthened with a more in-depth discussion of data limitations, the inclusion of data visualizations, and a comparison with other studies (if possible).

 

4. Empirical analysis

It is possible to verify significant contributions made by the authors by providing a robust and detailed analysis of the impact of urban renewal on residents' behaviors in relation to what is understood by sustainable development. Furthermore, I highlight as strengths of this section the application of robust statistical methods, the validation of results with robustness tests, the identification of impact mechanisms, the use of empirical data and the detailed discussion of the results. These contributions not only strengthen the credibility of the study, but also provide valuable insights for researchers and policymakers interested in urban renewal and environmental sustainability.

However, I consider it important that the authors included more graphs and tables to illustrate the main findings and could make the results more accessible. For example, before and after graphs of urban renewal interventions, or line graphs showing trends over time.

Have a nice job

Reviewer

 

 

 

Author Response

Dear  reviewer:

We are very grateful for your constructive comments and suggestions for our manuscript entitled “Urban Renewal and Transformation of Residents' Pro-environmental Behaviors: Evidence from the Renovation of Old Residential Areas in Chengdu,  China”. Your comments are valuable and helpful in enhancing our manuscript. All of us authors have carefully read the comments that you have given us, and revised each of theses issues.  In the following, the response to all the comments are provided one by one.

We have resubmitted a revised manuscript. If there are any incorrect answers or questions in the  manuscript, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Comment 1：

1.Introduction: The introduction clearly defines the objective of the study: to investigate the relationship between urban renewal and the transformation of residents' pro-environmental behaviors in Chengdu, China. It provides a good contextualization of the problem, discussing China's economic development and the need to balance economic growth with ecological protection. However, the introduction section could provide a more detailed justification for the choice of methodology used in the study, explaining why two-stage difference-in-difference models are appropriate for this type of research.

Response:

The authors added a paragraph in the introduction outlining the paper's research methodology. The additions are displayed on page 2 and highlighted in red. This study conducted two-time surveys in Chengdu City's urban area, encompassing 39 old residential areas in the main urban district of the city. This study conducts empirical analysis based on the cross-sectional data from the first survey and utilizes the OLS model in the benchmark regression. As renovations in the old residential areas are promoted, more old residential areas have completed the renovation one after another.

To enhance the robustness of the findings, the study incorporates data from both surveys and employs the two-period difference-in-difference model in the robustness test. The feasibility of this model was justified by the availability of data from two researches conducted. Moreover, the two-period difference-in-differences model was chosen due to its capability to address endogeneity issues, particularly by controlling for the effects of individual unobservable heterogeneity and factors that fluctuate over time. This approach aids in mitigating selection bias, ensuring a more accurate assessment of policy effects.

Comment 2:

2.Research Background and Impact Mechanisms：The "Research Background and Impact Mechanisms" section is well-structured and informative, providing a solid foundation for the study. However, it could be strengthened with a more detailed literature review, a more in-depth discussion of impact mechanisms, an explicit consideration of research limitations, smoother transitions between subsections, and the inclusion of practical examples. These improvements could increase the clarity, depth, and credibility of the section.

Response:

The study has reduced literature review content, focusing instead on providing detailed elaboration of the impact mechanisms. This refinement ensures a clearer and more coherent logic for the thesis. The study specifically examines two channels of influence, the first involves the role of improved environmental infrastructure in facilitating residents' pro-environmental behaviors amid the renovation of old residential areas. In order to enhance reader comprehension, the authors supplement their analysis with illustrative examples. For instance, the renovation efforts have led to the introduction of enhanced waste segregation facilities, intelligent resource recycling devices, and energy-efficient smart meters, all of which contribute to fostering residents' engagement in activities like waste sorting, resource recycling, and electricity conservation.

The second channel of influence centers on elevating residents' awareness of environmental protection, with the authors presenting corresponding arguments and instances. For instance, the authors argue that renovating old residential areas can enhance the human environment, evoke environmental emotions, value the community environment more, and increase environmental protection awareness. Moreover, the renovation of old residential areas spurs residents' involvement in community environmental initiatives, where individuals voluntarily partake in communal efforts such as environmental clean-up drives, waste segregation oversight, and environmental awareness campaigns. These grassroots activities serve to nurture residents' environmental awareness, thereby contributing to the sustained progression of environmental protection awareness within the community. Specific modification details highlighted in red can be found on pages 4 and 5.

Comment 3:

3.Description of Data Sources and Variables: The section "3. Description of Data Sources and Variables" is well structured and provides detailed information about the data and variables used in the study. However, it could be strengthened with a more in-depth discussion of data limitations, the inclusion of data visualizations, and a comparison with other studies (if possible).However, it could be strengthened with a more in-depth discussion of data limitations, the inclusion of data visualizations, and a comparison with other studies (if possible).

Response:

Regarding data limitations, the study includes a discussion in the research shortcomings section at the paper's conclusion and discussion. The data limitation of the study is a crucial aspect to consider, as only two periods of observational data have been collected thus far. This limitation restricts the scope of the paper to focus on the short-term impact of old neighborhood renovation on residents' pro-environmental behavior. However, to fully understand the long-term effects of old residential areas renovation on residents' pro-environmental behavioral shifts, it is essential to conduct continued tracking of changes in residents' pro-environmental behavior and collect additional data. This will allow for a comprehensive analysis of whether the impact diminishes over time.

Furthermore, the authors enhance the visibility of the data by including relevant figures in the article. Firstly, this study displays two figures to illustrate the geographic locations of the data sources. Figure 1 highlights the position of Chengdu, a pioneering city for urban renewal in China. The renovation of Chengdu's old residential areas focuses on the densely populated central city area. The authors included Figure 2 to illustrate the areas where old residential areas renovation is taking place in Chengdu City. Secondly, Figure 3 was included to illustrate the variations in participation levels across various pro-environmental behaviors. Respondents were categorized into two groups based on their frequency of engaging in pro-environmental behaviors. Respondents who answered "often" and "always" for a specific pro-environmental behavior were classified into the "high frequency group," while those who chose other response options were categorized into the "low frequency group." The results in Figure 3 reveal that the level of participation in pro-environmental behaviors is generally low. Notably, the low frequency group comprised more than 80% of respondents for "purchasing green products" and "participate in environmental volunteering ".

Comment 4:

4.Empirical analysis It is possible to verify significant contributions made by the authors by providing a robust and detailed analysis of the impact of urban renewal on residents' behaviors in relation to what is understood by sustainable development. Furthermore, I highlight as strengths of this section the application of robust statistical methods, the validation of results with robustness tests, the identification of impact mechanisms, the use of empirical data and the detailed discussion of the results. These contributions not only strengthen the credibility of the study, but also provide valuable insights for researchers and policymakers interested in urban renewal and environmental sustainability. However, I consider it important that the authors included more graphs and tables to illustrate the main findings and could make the results more accessible. For example, before and after graphs of urban renewal interventions, or line graphs showing trends over time.

Response:

To enhance the visual interpretation of the study results, Table 4 and Figure 4 have been included. Table 4 reports standardized regression coefficients, allowing the study to assess the relative importance of the effects of each variable on pro-environmental behavior. An interesting finding from the table reveals that the effect of old residential areas renovation on residents' pro-environmental behavior is slightly lower than the impact of social class identification, yet higher than the influence of gender on pro-environmental behavior participation. The results presented in Figure 4 depict the changes in the level of participation in pro-environmental behaviors among the residents in both the experimental and control groups across the two surveys conducted before and after the intervention. It is observed that the experimental group exhibited a substantially greater increase in the level of participation in pro-environmental behaviors compared to the control group. This finding serves as additional support for the fundamental conclusions drawn from this study.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1. Please clearly present the innovation of this study in the Introduction.

2. What are the unique features of Chengdu city for the study of residents' pro-environmental Behaviors? Can the conclusions drawn from this study be applicable to other cities?

3. Why were OLS and PROBIT models chosen for the analysis? It is suggested to consider using machine learning or multiple linear regression methods.

4. Can you provide a ranking of the relative importance of variables influencing residents' pro-environmental behavior?

Author Response

Dear  reviewer:

We are very grateful for your constructive comments and suggestions for our manuscript entitled “Urban Renewal and Transformation of Residents' Pro-environmental Behaviors: Evidence from the Renovation of Old Residential Areas in Chengdu,  China”. Your comments are valuable and helpful in enhancing our manuscript. All of us authors have carefully read the comments that you have given us, and revised each of theses issues.  In the following, the response to all the comments are provided one by one.

If there are any incorrect answers or questions in the  manuscript, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Comment 1:

Please clearly present the innovation of this study in the Introduction.

 Response:

The authors have included an extra paragraph in the introduction to highlight the study's innovations.The additions are displayed on page 2 and highlighted in red. This study innovates in two main aspects. Firstly, while existing literature predominantly focuses on the impact of urban renewal on enhancing urban hardware and functions, our study broadens this perspective by highlighting how urban renewal can also play a crucial role in fostering residents' green life concepts and pro-environmental behaviors. By doing so, we not only contribute to a deeper understanding of the determinants of pro-environmental behaviors but also advance the research on the influence of urban renewal on green development. Our study positions the participation of residents in pro-environmental behaviors as a important micro-level factor to consider when exploring the impact of urban renewal on green development, thus enhancing the theoretical framework in this field.

 Secondly, the study delves into the impact of urban renewal on residents' pro-environmental behaviors by examining the mechanism underlying this relationship. Through a preliminary validation, the study offers practical insights for policy makers on leveraging urban renewal initiatives as a strategic opportunity to facilitate broader engagement of Chinese residents in pro-environmental behaviors.

Comment 2:

What are the unique features of Chengdu city for the study of residents' pro-environmental Behaviors? Can the conclusions drawn from this study be applicable to other cities?

Response:

The study added a paragraph explaining why Chengdu was selected as the study's unique subject. The additions are displayed on page 3 and highlighted in red. Chengdu was selected as the research subject in this study because in March 2021, China introduced the "Implementation of Urban Renewal Action," listing it as one of the 102 major projects. Chengdu is among the initial 21 pilot cities for urban renewal in China. More importantly, Chengdu was the first city in China to develop and implement a detailed plan for transforming old residential areas, setting a valuable precedent for urban renewal efforts in the country.

The Chinese government employs a "pilot first, replicate later" model for many public policies, as evidenced by the urban regeneration efforts initiated in Chengdu. Following the successful implementation in Chengdu, there are plans to extend large-scale urban renewal projects to other regions gradually. Despite variations in the economic and social developmental levels across different regions in China, the administrative systems of local governments remain consistent. This uniformity, coupled with the central government's unified mobilization efforts, creates an optimistic outlook for replicating the success of Chengdu's urban renewal experience in other regions.

Comment 3:

Why were OLS and PROBIT models chosen for the analysis? It is suggested to consider using machine learning or multiple linear regression methods.

Response:

This study focuses on investigating the “causal relationship” between urban renewal and pro-environmental behavior change. To achieve this, traditional econometric models like OLS, PROBIT, and difference-in-difference are employed. The authors also provided reasons for utilizing these models in their paper. For instance, the PROBIT model is chosen due to its dependency on a dichotomous dummy variable, and the difference-in-difference model helps to somewhat address endogeneity.

The study did not use machine learning as a research method because it did not focus on prediction. However, it is important to acknowledge that a limitation of the current study is the lack of predictive analysis on the long-term impacts of renovating old neighborhoods on residents' pro-environmental behaviors. Integrating machine learning techniques in future research endeavors could enhance the predictive capabilities and thus provide valuable insights for policymaking. Consequently, incorporating machine learning methods in upcoming studies has the potential to address the prediction challenge more effectively, thereby increasing the relevance of the research findings for policy formulation. The study addressed this issue in the research deficit section at the end of the article. The additions are displayed on page 18 and highlighted in red.

Comment 4:

Can you provide a ranking of the relative importance of variables influencing residents' pro-environmental behavior?

Response:

To rank the roles of various variables on pro-environmental behaviors, the study included standardized regression coefficients in Table 4. Standardized regression coefficients, derived from standardizing both the independent and dependent variables, offer a metric that allows for the comparison of variables despite differences in scale and order of magnitude. The larger the standardized regression coefficient, the more important the impact of a dependent variable on the independent variable, thus indicating the relative effect accurately. This coefficient is calculated by multiplying the unstandardized regression coefficient by the standard deviation of the independent variable and dividing it by the standard deviation of the dependent variable.

Upon analyzing the standard regression coefficients, it is evident that environmental knowledge, environmental concern, education level, income level, and cognition of environmental responsibility exhibit higher relative importance, ranked in a decreasing order. Furthermore, the impact of old residential areas renovation on residents' pro-environmental behavior is found to be slightly lower than the influence of social class identity but surpasses the effect of gender on engaging in pro-environmental behavior.

 

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thenk you for revising the text and adding illustrations

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors,

 

After analyzing the manuscript with the considerations and suggestions applied throughout the textual structure, I realized that the reading and understanding of the work became better and more attractive to readers of different technical-scientific maturity. In this sense, I consider the manuscript capable of following the publication process in Sustainability

Good job!

Reviewer