Quantitative Study of the Network Tendency of the Urban System in China
Publication: Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 140, Issue 2
Abstract
China’s rapid urbanization has been attracting widespread interests of the economists, sociologists, and geographers all over the world in recent years. This study was conducted to analyze the network tendency of the urban system in China based on quantitative methods. In the theoretical analysis part, this paper reveals the transformation from a size-based to a network-based urban system in the urban system research and planning concept in China. Then, this paper established the network economy model and the linear model for quantitative analysis about network tendency of the urban system. The results were established based on the employment data for 18 major industry categories data and flow data of 35 cities from statistics on Chinese cities over the period 1999–2010. This paper reveals that urban networks have begun to affect the urban system increasingly more significantly, even more so than the size-based hierarchy. Further analysis shows that there will be a transition from size-based control to network-based control in the Chinese urban system in the coming decade (in 2018). The results of this study demonstrate that the methods applied here can facilitate an effective analysis of the change in urban hierarchy that has occurred in China. This research also provides lessons for urbanization studies in other developing countries.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This paper is supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. lzujbky-2011-130) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41271184). The authors also thank the editors of American Journal Experts for English language editing.
References
Adolphson, M. (2009). “Estimating a polycentric urban structure. Case study: Urban changes in the Stockholm region 1991-2004.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 19–30.
Camagni, R. (1993). “From city hierarchy to city network: Reflections about an emerging paradigm.” Structure and change in the space economy, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, 60–90.
Camagni, R. P., and Salone, C. (1993). “Network urban structures in northern Italy: Elements for a theoretical framework.” Urban Stud., 30(6), 1053–1064.
Casello, J. M., and Smith, T. E. (2006). “Transportation activity centers for urban transportation analysis.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 247–257.
Castells, M. (1989). “The informational city: Information technology.” Economic restructuring and the urban regional process, Blackwell, Oxford.
Castells, M. (1996). “The space of flows.” The rise of the network society, Blackwell, MA, 376–428.
Christaller, W. (1933). “Die zentralen orte in süddeutschland: eine ökonomische untersuchung über gesetzmässigkeit der verbreitung und entwicklung der siedlungen mit städtischen funktionen.” Verlag von Gustav Fischer, Jena.
Demir, H., and Yilmaz, A. (2012). “Measurement of urban transformation project success using the analytic hierarchy process: Sulukule and Tepeüstü-Ayazma case studies, Istanbul.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 173–182.
Duthie, J., Voruganti, A., Kockelman, K., and Waller, S. T. (2010). “Highway improvement project rankings due to uncertain model inputs: Application of traditional transportation and land use models.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 294–302.
Eberstein, I. W., and Galle, O. R. (1983). “Metropolitan system in the South: Functional differentiation and trade patterns.” Social forces, 62(4), 926–940.
Esparza, A., and Krmenec, A. J. (1994). “Producer services trade in city systems: Evidence from Chicago.” Urban Stud., 31(1), 29–46.
Garrison, W. L. (1960). “Connectivity of the interstate highway system.” Papers and Proc., Region. Sci. Assoc., 6, 121–138.
Gottmann, J. (1957). “Megalopolis: Or the urbanization of the northeastern seaboard.” Econ. Geogr., 33(3), 189–200.
Gu, C. L. (1992). Chineae urban system: History, status and prospect, Shangwu Publishing House, Beijing.
Han, J., Bhandari, K., and Hayashi, Y. (2010). “Assessment of policies toward an environmentally friendly urban transport system: Case study of Delhi, India.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 86–93.
Hu, X. W. (1985). “The economic geographical research for the rational distribution of industry and regional planning in China.” Scientia Geographica Sinica, 5(4), 308–316.
Kasturia, S., and Verma, A. (2010). “Multiobjective transit passenger information system design using GIS.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 34–41.
King, L. J. (1984). Central place theory, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.
Li, X. J., and Miao, C. H. (1993). “Growth pole: Theoretical discussion and selected in practice.” Geogr. Res., 12(3), 45–55.
Li, X. Y., Liu, L. C., and Dong, X. F. (2011). “Quantitative analysis of urban expansion using RS and GIS, a case study in Lanzhou.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 459–469.
Liu, L. C., Dong, X. F., and Chi, S. Q. (2010). “Quantitative delimitation of metropolitan areas based on a synthetic method: Case study in the Lanzhou metropolitan area.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 357–364.
Lu, D. D. (2001). “An analysis of spatial structure and optimal regional development.” Acta Geogr. Sinica, 56(2), 127–135.
Lu, D. D. (2003). “New factors and new patterns of regional development in China.” Geogr. Res., 22(3), 261–271.
Moridpour, S. (2009). “Sensitivity of the traffic flows in transportation networks.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 56–65.
National Bureau of Statistics of People’s Republic of China. (2010). City statistical yearbook of China (1999–2010), China Statistics Press, Beijing (in Chinese).
Neal, Z. P. (2010). “From central places to network bases: A transition in the US urban hierarchy, 1900–2000.” City & Community, 10(1), 49–75.
Ozuysal, M., and Tanyel, S. (2008). “Induced travel demand in developing countries: Study on state highways in Turkey.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 78–87.
Perroux, F. (1955). “Note sur la notion de pôle de croissance.” Economie Appliquée, 7(1–2), 307–320.
Portugal, L. D., and de Araujo, L. A. (2008). “Procedure to analyze the performance of urban networks in Brazilian cities.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 119–128.
Qiu, B. X. (2004). “On ‘five coordination’ and urban system planning.” City Plann. Rev., 28(1), 8–16.
Ross, C. O. (1987). “Organizational dimensions of metropolitan dominance: Prominence in the network of corporate control, 1955–1975.” Am. Soc. Rev., 52(2)258–267.
Song, J. T., and Gu, C. L. (1988). “Theory and methodology of urban system planning.” Theory Methodol. Urban System Plann., 55(2), 97–107.
Tan, H. M., and Li, X. B. (2010). “The evolution of the urban system of the United States in the 20th century and its implications for China.” Acta Geogr. Sinica, 65(12), 1488–1495.
Taylor, P. J. (2001). “Specification of the world city network.” Geogr. Analysis, 33(2), 181–194.
Taylor, P. J., Evans, D. M., and Pain, K. (2008). “Application of the interlocking network model to mega-city-regions: Measuring polycentricity within and beyond city-regions.” Reg. Stud., 42(8), 1079–1093.
Thomas, M. D. (1975). “Growth pole theory, technological change, and regional economic growth.” Pap. Reg. Sci., 34(1), 3–25.
United Nations, Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, (2009). “Percentage of population residing in urban areas by major area, region and country, 1950-2050.” 〈http://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/CD-ROM_2009/WUP2009-F02-Proportion_Urban.xls〉.
Vance, J. E. (1970). The merchant’s world: The geography of wholesaling, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Verma, A., and Dhingra, S. L. (2005). “Optimal urban rail transit corridor identification within integrated framework using geographical information system.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 98–111.
Wang, M. F. (2004). “The impact of internet on global urban system.” Plann. Study, 8(8), 26–32.
Yao, S. M., Zhu, Y. M., and Chen, Z. G. (2006). China’s urban agglomerations, University of Science and Technology of China Press, Hefei, 1–15.
Yeh, J., Xu, J., and Yeh, A. G. O. (2010). Governance and planning of mega-city regions: An international comparative perspective, Routledge, New York.
Zhen, F., Liu, X. X., and Liu, H. (2009). “Regional urban network infulenced by information technology: New directions of urban studies.” Hum. Geogr., 22(2), 76–80.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 140 • Issue 2 • June 2014
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 22, 2011
Accepted: Jun 24, 2013
Published online: Jun 26, 2013
Discussion open until: May 26, 2014
Published in print: Jun 1, 2014
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.