PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2011, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (4): 491-497.doi: 10.11820/dlkxjz.2011.04.013

• Original Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatial Structure of Urban Agglomeration in Liaoning Coastal Area

QIN Zhiqin1,2, ZHANG Pingyu1   

  1. 1. Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, CAS, Changchun 130012, China;
    2. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2010-03-01 Revised:2010-07-01 Online:2011-04-25 Published:2011-04-25

Abstract: Urban agglomeration in Liaoning coastal area which lies around the Bohai Bay is the only access to the sea in Northeast China. Since 2009, the region has been the focal point in national strategy, so the spatial structure is facing transformation and restructuring. In this paper, we analyze the spatial structure characteristics of the urban agglomeration from the following three aspects: the urban scale ranking, economic development level and the spatial accessibility. All of the cites in this region are ranked by the calculated results of index models and mathematical approaches correspondingly. The authors also discuss the spatial structural characteristics by using the relative analysis, fractal theory and ESDA (Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis) and topology analysis. It is concluded that: (1) the differences in scale ranking are evident, and the urban system is distributed with high urban primacy ratio; (2) the differences for economic development are also great, and the phenomenon of spatial agglomeration of cities with equal economic level is distinct; (3) the spatial variation of accessibility is obvious, and the transport network still has much potential for development; (4) on the basis of the above analyses, it is concluded that the spatial structure of urban agglomeration in Liaoning coastal area shows a core-periphery- edge pattern. There are three strong core cities, Dalian, Jinzhou and Yingkou, and DaLian is the most centralized city.

Key words: economic development level, Liaoning coastal area, spatial structure, transportation network, urban agglomeration, urban scale ranking