Abstract
Industrial agglomeration is an important economic phenomenon in urban areas and has significant effects on land use efficiency (LUE) due to external economies of scale. A bourgeoning body of literature has investigated the effects of industrial agglomeration. However, the relationship between industrial agglomeration and land use efficiency has rarely been discussed in China. To fill this gap, this study aims to explore the effects of industrial agglomeration on LUE and the characteristics of its spatial distribution. In this study, the spatial effects of industrial agglomeration of 12 detailed sectors on LUE are estimated through the geographical weighted regression model. Socioeconomic data of 289 prefecture-level cities in China are utilized for the analysis. Results show several important findings. First, spatial effects of industrial agglomerations on LUE are evident in three grand city clusters, i.e. the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta. Second, spatial patterns and distributions of industrial agglomeration effects on LUE vary across regions. Third, the significance of industrial agglomeration effects on LUE between 2-digit industrial sectors is different. The merits of this study lie in three aspects: First, a theoretical framework is explored to analyze the impacts of industrial agglomeration on LUE based on the expanded Cobb–Douglas production function; Second, the impacts of industrial sectors on LUE are estimated from a spatial perspective; Third, some policy implications for a more economically efficient urban spatial development are suggested.
Highlights
After the fundamental reform and opening-up initiated in late 1978, China’s industrial development has been making unprecedented achievements in terms of scales and growth rate
From the perspective of agriculture, land use efficiency (LUE) is defined as the crop yield per unit on farm land by considering factors such as nutrition, food safety, cultivated technology and others [2]
Industrial agglomeration is defined as a cluster of companies in one or some interconnected industries concentrated in a certain area, which is united by common interests and complementary [6,7]
Summary
After the fundamental reform and opening-up initiated in late 1978, China’s industrial development has been making unprecedented achievements in terms of scales and growth rate. Improving urban land use efficiency (LUE) in cities is crucial for building a more economically efficient spatial development pattern by smart industrial agglomeration, and addressing the land supply challenge in the new urbanization aspiration in the transition of China. From the perspective of industrial development, LUE is defined as the industrial output per industrial land area [1]. Because of reliance on unbalanced and unsustainable industries, many cities are perplexed by a situation that urban land is costly and is developed at a relatively low efficiency [1]. To achieve a best economic overall layout of a city, LUE and its influencing factors should be recognized as key references—for policy making in the land use planning and industrial planning [3]. Some relevant policy suggestions for economically efficient urban spatial development are recommended.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
