The driving mechanisms and spatial spillover effects of new quality productive forces on urban-rural integration development

New Quality Productive Forces (NQPF) represent an advanced form of productivity characterized by high technology, high efficiency, and high quality. Ultimately, a "NQPF-Institutional Environment-Spatial Carrier" ternary interaction theoretical framework is empirically validated. The findings are four fold: First, NQPF exerts a significant positive driving effect on urban-rural integration; however, its impact on ecological integration is relatively weaker. Second, overall, the coupling coordination between NQPF and urban-rural integration exhibits a steadily rising trend, albeit with pronounced regional disparities. Third, NQPF influences the level of urban-rural integration through three pathways: "digital empowerment, industrial upgrading, and factor mobility." Notably, while the development of NQPF promotes the flow of labor and capital, it demonstrates a negative impact on urban-rural integration. Fourth, NQPF generates a significant positive spatial spillover effect, indicating that it positively influences urban-rural integration in neighboring regions. Through cross-validation across temporal and spatial scales, this study uncovers the impact mechanisms of NQPF on urban-rural integration, thereby providing a basis for the formulation of differentiated integration policies.