Abstract: Innovation serves as a crucial foundation for achieving common prosperity for all citizens. Using a sample of 280 prefecture-level cities across China, this study constructs a spatial econometric model to investigate the impact mechanism of the pilot policies for innovation-driven cities on common prosperity. The results reveal that, between 2006 and 2021, the overall level of common prosperity in China showed a significant upward trend, with wealthier cities driving the development of less affluent cities. The pilot policy not only promotes common prosperity in the pilot cities but also stimulates common prosperity in neighboring cities. This effect is particularly pronounced in eastern and central regions, non-resource-based cities, and central cities. Therefore, it is essential to accelerate the advancement of urban common prosperity by emphasizing the spatial interdependence of urban common prosperity, by strengthening the spatial spillover effects, and by optimizing regional differentiation in policy implementation.

Key words: innovation-driven cities, common prosperity, pilot policy, spatial spillover effect, regional differentiation