Abstract
Urban integration, a new concept in urban and regional research, is an inevitable outcome of urban development. Based on accessibility analysis, this study uses urban and road network data to identify urban pairs in Northeast China which meet the distance threshold for urban integration and establishes an index system to evaluate the development potential. The research shows that in Northeast China, the results for urban integration are similar to those for the present urban structure in China, that is, a spatial pattern with provincial capital cities at the core and an urban belt as the axis. According to the evaluation, areas with potential for urban integration may be classified into four categories, namely, dominant areas, key areas, ordinary areas, and alternative areas. The candidate and potential areas for urban integration tend to be concentrated near a provincial capital city or a regional development zone. The results show that the development potential for urban integration varies greatly among the different urban pairs and the main constraining factors are different for each location. Among the constraining factors, the commuting time, costs, and economic conditions for the citizens are the most important.
Highlights
The above-mentioned survey only identified the urban towns that meet the basic conditions for the 30-min traffic circle, but this does not mean that all these urban pairs can achieve urban integration
The foundation of urban integration is the distance threshold, and space proximity is the basis for integration of regional industry, the economy, social systems, and other aspects of urban integration
There are many urban pairs that have the potential to realize urban integration, especially in the Songnen plain in Heilongjiang Province and the Liaohe plain in Liaoning Province. These urban pairs seldom cross provincial boundaries, given that they mostly come under the same local administrative region
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Urban integration is a new concept in the context of urban development in China. It is a mode for promoting urbanization in China [1]. The concept of urban integration was first described in the Shenzhen 2030 Urban Development Strategy published by Shenzhen
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