Study on the functional pattern of the Beijing metropolitan region and its changes: Based the analysis of data from the economic unit census

Abstract

Based on the first and second economic unit censuses of Beijing,this paper uses the methods of Factor Analysis and Cluster Analysis to examine the pattern of urban functional distribution of the Beijing metropolitan region. Compared with 2004,the functional distribution changed much in 2008. The findings are as follows.(1) The urban functions were suburbanizing:the suburbanization of construction,transportation and manufacturing function was most significant,and producer services function and comprehensive function was characterized by suburbanization.(2) There were more significant spatial differentiations in the functional distribution of Beijing metropolitan region:the central area was specialized in producer services and public services function;the inner suburbs specialized in comprehensive function,technology and education services function,and the outer suburbs were specialized in construction,transportation and manufacturing function.(3) The functional structure of Beijing metropolitan region changed from developmental axes,two functional belts,and eight functional to developmental axes,one functional belt,and six functional areas. The two developmental axes were the west-east axis along the Chang'an Avenue and the north-south axis along the traditional central axis. The functional belt associated with construction,transportation and manufacturing was located mainly along the Fifth Ring Road and extended to the outer suburbs along the main transportation line. The functional areas were composed of public services functional area,producer services functional area,technology and education services functional area,public and producer services comprehensive functional area,and manufacturing and technology services comprehensive functional area. This pattern was an synthesis of concentric circle mode,axial mode and polycentric mode.