The Structural and Functional Development of an Urban Network System from the Perspective of Flow Space: A Case Study of Nanjing

Lizhen Shen (), Xiaorui Lv, Shuyu Zhang, Peipei Chen, Pu Cheng and Shenyu Liu
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Lizhen Shen: School of Architecture and Planning, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Xiaorui Lv: School of Architecture and Planning, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Shuyu Zhang: Nanjing Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources, Jiangning Branch Bureau, Nanjing 211100, China
Peipei Chen: School of Architecture and Planning, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Pu Cheng: Jiangsu Provincial Planning and Design Group, Jiangsu Institute of Urban Planning and Design, Nanjing 210000, China
Shenyu Liu: School of Foreign Languages, Peking University, Beijing 100080, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-20

Abstract: Globalization and informatization have exerted far-reaching impacts on the spatial connection and development of urban systems. This study, concerning the network of an urban system based on the space of flows, supplements the insufficiency on the micro-level in macro-urban network research. Taking Nanjing as an example, this study explores the characteristics of the network of the urban system from the perspective of people flow, refining the granularity of the analysis to the township- and street-level spatial units using mobile phone data. The findings are as follows: (1) There is a multicenter layered network pattern, with the main urban area being the core of the network, while Dongshan Street and Moling Street, as secondary centers, form a joint development pattern with the main urban area. (2) The spatial differentiation is significant. The spatial heterogeneity of “centralization in the central region, delayering in the north, and hierarchization in the south” is obvious. The net people inflow nodes are mainly concentrated in the main urban area and its surroundings, while the net outflow nodes are mostly located on the edge of the city. Moreover, the nodes to the south of Yangtze River are advantageous in urban resource control. (3) The phenomenon of “double shadow circle” appears in the ring of the main city and the ring of the municipal area. Moreover, the northern district experiences a serious outflow of population. (4) The effect of policy intervention is beginning to show. Improved levels of development of street and township units such as Jiangbei New District show the positive influence of national strategy on regional development.

Keywords: the space of flows; urban system; people flow; urban network analysis; Nanjing City (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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