Study on logistics network of Yangtze River Delta city groups: based on the method of social network analysis

Abstract

The study of logistics network of Yangtze River Delta city group can enable us to understand the logistics integration status. There are 25 cities in Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomerations selected as the study object of this paper. The values of logistics links to those cities are calculated on the basis of the gravity model. Then, social network analysis method is used to analyze the logistics network density, centrality, cohesive subgroup and core–periphery structure. The research finds that the logistics connection between those cities is low; a few nodes have high degree of centrality and most of these nodes have little difference; there exists subgroup in the network, and the link density inside and between those subgroup are weak; the network has the core–periphery structure; both links inside the marginal area and links between the core area and the edge area are weak, so the network has vulnerabilities. Therefore, some measures need to be taken in in order to realize coordinative development of logistics in Silk Road Economic belt, including breaking the administrative constraints, taking the lead on the core nodes and strengthening the interaction between the edge region and the core region.