Characteristics of the Urban Gravity Structure in the Guangzhou-Foshan Metropolitan Area Based on Multi-Source Data

Abstract

As the endogenous driving force of regional development, the development of urban entities in metropolitan areas has a great influence on the development of the metropolitan areas, while the interactions between the urban entities' systems directly affect the metropolitan areas' development. Studying the relationship between urban entities in metropolitan areas and the basic development law of the structure between urban centers can provide some reference for the planning, development, and construction management of the urban centers and their surrounding areas in the metropolitan areas. Although the core entity territory of Guangzhou-Foshan has been contiguous, its development connection with the peripheral urban territories remains the focus of research. In the context of the synergistic development of the Bay Area, exploring the characteristic relationships between the urban territories in the Bay Area hinterland can provide a positive response to the sustainable development of the Bay Area cities. This study constructs a POI & NPP composite index by a mathematical mean method to determine the POI & NPP composite value and the number of urban centers; Based on the feature that the integrated data will produce abrupt changes at the boundary, the city's boundary extent is then analyzed using the fracture point analysis method. We then analyze the strength and direction of the gravitational force between the urban entities within the Guangzhou-Foshan metropolitan area by adding the modified gravitational force model based on the divided urban-entity territory and the POI & NPP composite index within the scope. The results show the following: (1) A "7+1" urban system structure centered on the core area is formed in the Guangzhou-Foshan metropolitan area. (2) A "heptagonal" positive urban system structure is generated around the core area and a "hexagonal." (3) The urban triangle structure is the basic unit of the Guangzhou-Foshan urban gravitational structure, while the better-developed urban clusters are "Core-Shunde-Nansha," "Core-Shunde–Gaoming," "Core-Sanshui–Huadu," "Core-Huadu-Conghua," "Core-Zengcheng-Nansha," and "Core." (4) The size and structural stability of the gravitational potential of the Guangzhou-Foshan metropolitan area are positively related to the intensity of the urban economic functions.

Keywords

• night light data
• point-of-interest
• urban gravitational model
• gravitational structural characteristics
• guangzhou-foshan metropolitan area