Digital rural development and the alleviation of the urban-rural digital divide: An analysis based on the theory of co-production

The development of digital villages represents a critical pathway for dismantling the urban-rural dual structure and promoting inclusive digital development. This study moves beyond the traditional framework of technological determinism by adopting the lens of co-production theory. It constructs a three-dimensional analytical framework-“co-construction of rules-resource integration-dynamic feedback”-to reveal how digital village initiatives, under conditions of multi-actor interaction, contribute to narrowing the urban-rural digital divide. Drawing on panel data from 30 Chinese provinces between 2013 and 2021, the study employs a global entropy method to measure the level of digital village development and utilizes dynamic Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to identify configurational paths that contribute to the reduction of the digital divide. The key findings are as follows. Digital village development significantly reduces the urban-rural digital divide through synergistic mechanisms involving institutional rule optimization, complementary resource allocation, and data-driven feedback. The core mechanism lies in the coupling effect between technological diffusion and the transformation of governance paradigms. Three distinct configurational paths are identified for alleviating the digital divide: the“Service-Space Synergistic Optimization”model centered on digitalized public services and spatial connectivity; the “Digital-Spatial Resilience Matching”model based on robust digital infrastructure and adaptable population mobility; and the“Digital-Industrial Co-evolution”model driven by the digital restructuring of industrial chains. These configurations under-score the non-linear synergy among diverse actors and the resulting amplifying effects. Regional heterogeneity reveals that in eastern regions, the“technological siphoning effect”intensifies the divide, whereas central and western regions achieve reverse convergence through institutional equity and spatial rebalancing strategies. Based on these insights, the study proposes a triadic governance framework integrating institutions, technology, and society. It emphasizes the importance of dynamically adaptive policy tools, the dual empowerment of human capital and ecological value, and the urgent need to overcome the pitfalls of“technological monism.”These findings offer both theoretical grounding and practical guidance for the advancement of digital villages and the broader goal of common prosperity.