The Spatial Structure of High Speed Railways and Urban Networks in China: A Flow Approach. (28th June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yang, Haoran; Dijst, Martin; Witte, Patrick; Van Ginkel, Hans; Yang, Weiling
• Is Part Of: Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie. Volume 109:Number 1(2018)
• Page Start: 109
• Page End: 128
• Publication Date: 2017-06-28
• Subjects: High speed railway (HSR) -- urban networks -- flow approach -- China -- polycentricity; Economic geography -- Periodicals; Human geography -- Periodicals; 330.9005
• DOI: 10.1111/tesg.12269
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0040-747X

Abstract

Abstract: The high speed railway (HSR) has played a crucial role in the regional integration of urban networks in China. This paper analyses HSR passenger flows instead of commonly‐used time schedules for measuring different polycentricity in urban networks. Using 2013 origin/destination (O/D) passenger flow data, we analyse the spatial configurations of 99 HSR cities at the national scale in China. In addition, we compare the spatial configurations of three regional urban networks: the Pearl River Delta, the Yangzi River Delta and the Bohai Rim. The outcomes show that the three functional regions connected by HSR are the most dominant polycentric regions in China and that the Bohai Rim is less hierarchical than the other two. We conclude that the comprehensive Chinese HSR networks are largely polycentric, especially in the central and eastern regions.