Abstract
Urban spatial structure is a critical component of urban planning and development, and among the different urban spatial structure strategies, ‘polycentric mega-city region (PMR)’ has recently received great research and public policy interest in China. However, there is a lack of systematic understanding on the spatiality of PMR from a pluralistic perspective. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the spatiality of PMR in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA) using city-level data on gross domestic product (GDP), population share, and urban income growth for the period 2000–2013. The results reveal that economically, the YRDUA is experiencing greater polycentricity, but in terms of social welfare, the region manifests growing monocentricity. We further find that the triple transition framework (marketization, urbanization, and decentralization) can greatly explain the observed patterns. Although the economic goals are accomplished with better spatial linkages and early economic development policies, inequality in spatial distribution of public services and the continuing legacy of central planning remain barriers for the YRDUA to emerge as a successful PMR. The results of this research offer meaningful insights on the impact of polycentric policies in the YRDUA and support policymakers in the implementation of appropriate urban spatial development strategies.
Highlights
Over 50% of the global population live in urban areas, and this is expected to become 70% by 2050 [1]
As more and more polycentric mega-city region (PMR) emerge in China, it is important to understand questions such as (i) whether such policies result in functionally and geographically coherent megacity regions or they are just defined politically as polycentric and (ii) what are the factors that shape PMRs in China? We aim to provide response to these questions by examining the performance of Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA) Development Plan and characterize the degree of polycentricity in the YRDUA using three indicators
Urban spatial structure and the distribution of activities and physical elements of urban areas has received immense interest from regional planners, urban geographers and economists around the world, from Europe and China, who believe that it effects urban growth, spatial development, economic performance and social well-being of cities and their inhabitants [2,8]
Summary
Over 50% of the global population live in urban areas, and this is expected to become 70% by 2050 [1]. Urban planners and city managers have been implementing different urban spatial structure strategies to meet the needs of the growing urban population in a sustainable manner [2]. Among the different urban spatial structure strategies, ‘polycentric mega-city region (PMR)’ has recently received great public policy interest as it is believed to facilitate economic integration, social welfare, and spatially balanced metropolitan regions, city clusters, and urban networks [4,5]. A PMR is characterized by functionally and spatially connected network of several semi-independent cities and/or subcenters [7]. It has become a global phenomenon post the European polycentricity planning projects (e.g., European spatial development perspective and European polycentric mega-cities regional sustainable development management project) [8]
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