Redai dili (Mar 2022)
Exploring the Spatial Structure of Pearl River Delta: Based on "Space of Flows"
Abstract
As China's reform enters deep water and the opening-up enters a new stage, the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, an important spatial carrier of the national location policy, has become the focus of attention in terms of improving collaborative governance capabilities within the region and optimizing the spatial system structure of urban agglomerations. In this study, a "space of flows" network was developed based on the capital flow, constructed using the foreign investment behavior of A-share listed companies, traffic flow, constructed using population migration data, and information flow constructed using the search engine index. The social network analysis method was used to qualitatively describe and quantitatively analyze the spatial connection characteristics and evolution trend of the PRD cities. The study shows that the urban system of the PRD urban agglomeration has been developed into a "space of flows" network. Additionally, it shows that the spatial structure of the urban system of the PRD urban agglomeration is closely centered on the regional development corridor of Guangzhou, Florida, Dongguan, and Shenzhen, which is deep in the north-south direction. Capital, traffic, and information flows form a network structure with Guangzhou and Shenzhen as the regional extreme nuclei. The urban network shows a significant coresemi-edge-edge unbalanced structure, and the free flow of development factors among cities in the Bay Area is still hindered, with gradient development differences among cities. Overall, the factor flow network is mainly based on Guangzhou and Shenzhen as the dual cores, with spatial differentiation among capital, transportation, and information flows, forming a more apparent network power center on the east bank of the Pearl River. By measuring the degree of centrality of information, traffic, and capital flow of each city in the PRD, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen were found to significantly exceed other cities in terms of attraction and output of flow factors. In terms of investment flow, a narrow "N" structure is formed with Shenzhen as the core node which converges toward the Pearl River; in terms of traffic flow, a wide "N" structure is formed with Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan as the core, which undulates in the middle of the Bay Area; in terms of information flow, a narrow "N" structure is formed with Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan as the core. In terms of information flow, an inverse "y" structure is formed along the east bank of the Pearl River with Guangzhou and Shenzhen as the core. Based on the empirical study findings, the development planning of the PRD urban agglomeration is discussed in the light of its actual development. To promote the deep integration of urban agglomerations in the PRD region, it is necessary to avoid zero-sum competition caused by non-market factors through institutional innovation on the one hand, and through increasing the investment in infrastructure construction and accelerating the circulation of factors on the other. In addition, the rapid response of the Internet can help cities at the geographical periphery break free from the geographical constraints of physical distance to develop faster.
Keywords
