PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2016, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (5): 622-631.doi: 10.18306/dlkxjz.2016.05.009

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City network structure of the Yangtze River Delta region based on logistics enterprise network

Lei YE1,2,3(), Xuejun DUAN1,3,*()   

  1. 1. Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, CAS, Nanjing 210008, China
    2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    3. Key Laboratory of Watershed Geographic Sciences, CAS, Nanjing 210008, China
  • Accepted:2015-11-01 Online:2016-05-27 Published:2016-05-27
  • Contact: Xuejun DUAN E-mail:yelechina@hotmail.com;xjduan@niglas.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41071085;Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.KZCX2-YW-339

Abstract:

Logistics enterprises are specialized economic organizations that carry out the tasks of logistics distribution among cities. With the emergence of global city network, research on city network of logistics enterprises, however, is relative few. Therefore, using the data of headquarters and branches of the top 100 logistics enterprises in China, this article analyzes the spatial structure and influencing factors of the city network of the Yangtze River Delta region in 2015. Characteristics of network spatial structure are interpreted from the view of production logistics and daily living material logistics in order to enrich the content of China’s city network research and provide supports for the formulation of regional city network development strategies. The results show that: (1) Spatially, connectivity based on production logistics and daily living material logistics in the Yangtze River Delta region shows an “one body and two wings” pattern and a diffusion trend from the regional center to central Jiangsu and south Zhejiang. (2) The spatial structure of “one core area and two sub-core areas” is gradually being broken, and some new features are emerging, including a transition of spatial structure from “Z” shape to “one axis and multiple core areas” and gaps in connectivity across regions in several middle- and small-sized cities. (3) Under the background of enterprise interest maximization and innovation of traffic and information technology, the development of city network of the Yangtze River Delta region is mainly influenced by GDP and urbanization rate. Distance to Shanghai, administrative level of the city, and average wages of staff are important factors in regional development but did not pass the significant test. In conclusion, the spatial structure of the Yangtze River Delta region is not entirely consistent with the characteristics of the existing urban hierarchy.

Key words: logistics enterprise, city network, spatial structure, Yangtze River Delta