With the acceleration of urbanization, urban renewal has become a key initiative for implementing new development philosophies and promoting high-quality economic development. Its impact on ecological resilience has gradually become a focus of attention. Utilizing a sample of data from 256 cities in China spanning from 2000 to 2022, this study employed the entropy method to construct a comprehensive evaluation system for ecological resilience based on the three dimensions of "Resistance-Adaptation-Recovery" (RAR). Using GIS spatial analysis techniques and the three-dimensional kernel density estimation method, it delves into the spatiotemporal differentiation patterns of ecological resilience. Furthermore, treating the pilot policy for renovating old residential neighborhoods as a quasi-natural experiment for urban renewal, a difference-in-differences (DID) model was constructed to assess the impact effect and regional heterogeneity of urban renewal on ecological resilience . The findings reveal that: (1) In terms of temporal evolution, after 2011, the peak value of ecological resilience shifted significantly to the right, and the kernel density distribution morphology transitioned from a "unimodal" to a "bimodal" pattern. The span between peaks continued to widen, forming a noticeable "resilience gap" and a multi-tiered differentiation pattern, with the "Matthew Effect" among cities becoming increasingly prominent . Spatially, low-value areas for resistance resilience shifted from North China to Northeast China, the spatial distribution of adaptation resilience showed significant fluctuations, and the level of recovery resilience tended to balance out from the earlier pattern of interwoven high and low values. (2) The old residential neighborhood renovation policy can significantly promote the enhancement of ecological resilience. This conclusion holds even after a series of robustness tests, including parallel trend tests and placebo tests, indicating that urban renewal has a positive promoting effect on ecological resilience . (3) The impact of urban renewal on ecological resilience exhibits regional heterogeneity. The enhancement effect of the pilot policy is stronger in less economically developed western and northeastern cities, followed by eastern cities, while its impact is weaker in central cities . Based on the above analysis, policy recommendations are proposed, including building cross-regional ecological resilience buffer zones, establishing a resilience-oriented institutional system for urban renewal, improving diversified investment and financing mechanisms, strengthening scientific and technological innovation support, and conducting special governance on policy bottlenecks in the central region. These aim to provide a theoretical basis and practical pathways for promoting the synergistic development of urban renewal and ecological resilience, thereby achieving high-quality and sustainable urban development.