Abstract:

  The application of information technology and transmission of social information technology make a large number of elements, including population flow, material flow and information flow, gather and spread within the urban agglomeration. The links among agglomerated cities are strengthened as well. Based on the comprehensive analysis of road transportation, common train, high-speed train, and Baidu indexes, this paper analyzes the ‘spatial flow’ network structural features of the urban agglomeration in the Yangtze River Delta. Results indicate the followings. ①An imbalanced relationship is found among the cities although network connections have been established within the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. The network development pattern is remarkably centered in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou. ② The ‘spatial flow’ of the 16 core cities in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration shows a triangle network structure, and the vertex angles are composed of three core nodes, such as Shanghai (Hu), Nanning (Ning), and Hangzhou (Hang). Numerous network connections have also been established among secondary cities within the spatial structure. In terms of spatial distribution, the network connection degree in the Northern region is higher than the linear connection in the Southern region, and the connection degree decreases along “Hu-Ning” and “Hu-Hang.” ③ The five core cities, including Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Wuxi, are ranked in the forefront of the network. Meanwhile, Huzhou, Nantong, Taizhou, Zhoushan, and other peripheral cities are ranked backward. This finding is associated with the ‘connected vessels effect’ during the development of regional economy. With the development of regional economic integration, the central city will provide services and economic radiation to the surrounding areas and improve the network system of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration.