PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2010, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (10): 1239-1248.doi: 10.11820/dlkxjz.2010.10.012

• Original Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Relationship between Urban Development and Transport Accessibility in Xinjiang

ZHU Bing1,2, ZHANG Xiaolei1, GUI Dongwei1,2, LEI Jun1, DONG Wen1, WANG Boli1,2   

  1. 1. Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China;
    2. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Online:2010-10-25 Published:2010-10-25

Abstract:

Urban development is closely related to transport accessibility. To analyze their relationship and effecting mechanism is beneficial to the deep understanding of regional development. In this paper, based on the data about the urban system and highway networks during recent 30 years in Xinjiang, the growth theory of neoclassicism is used to establish a regression model, and the special analysis methods of GIS are applied to analyze the changes of cities and transport accessibility and their relationship after reform and opening in Xinjiang. The study is important for us to grasp the law of interrelation,to promote the dynamic optimization between the urban system and highway networks, to promote the level and efficiency of the resource sharing, and to expedite regional development. The results indicate that urban development has an obvious regional character. The urban development in Northern Xinjiang is better than that in the Southern Xinjiang, and that of the east is better than that of the west. The year 1997 was the dividing point on the development of transport accessibility, and there was a sharp increasing development after the slow growth before 1997. The spatial pattern of transport accessibility is that the north-south slopes of Tianshan have the best transport accessibility, and then it decreases to the periphery. There are some relationships between transport accessibility and urban development. The first is that urban development is seriously restricted by its transport accessibility, and the changes of transport accessibility will diminish the marginal effects of urban development. The second is that urban development has a positive effect on transport accessibility. Faster speed or bigger comprehensive strength of urban development will promote the development of transport accessibility.

Key words: growth regression model, urban development, Xinjiang, accessibility