Urban Network and Regions in China: An Analysis of Daily Migration with Complex Networks Model

Wangbao Liu, Quan Hou, Zhihao Xie and Xin Mai
Additional contact information
Wangbao Liu: Department of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Quan Hou: Shenzhen Institute of Building Research Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518049, China
Zhihao Xie: Dongguan Urban Planning and Design Institute, Dongguan 523000, China
Xin Mai: Department of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-12

Abstract: This paper analyzed urban network and regions in China using a complex network model. Data of daily migration among 348 prefectural-level cities from the Baidu Map location-based service (LBS) Open Platform were used to calculate urban network metrics and to delineate boundaries of urban regions. Results show that urban network in China displays an obvious hierarchy in terms of attracting and distributing population and controlling regional interaction. Regional integration has become increasingly prominent, as administrative boundaries and natural barriers no longer have strong impacts on urban connections. Overall, 18 urban regions were identified according to urban connectivity, and the degree of urban connection is higher among cities in the same urban region. Due to geographical proximity and close interaction, several provincial capital cities form an urban region with cities from neighboring provinces instead of those from the same province. Identification of urban region boundaries is of significant importance for sustainable development and policymaking on the demarcation of urban economic zones, urban agglomerations, and future adjustment of provincial administrative boundaries in China.

Keywords: Chinese population flow; urban networks; complex networks model; boundary of urban regions; sustainable development; administrative boundaries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/8/3208/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/8/3208/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:8:p:3208-:d:346306

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().