The evolutionary mechanism of China's urban network from 1997 to 2015: An analysis of air passenger flows

Abstract

To reveal the complexity of China's urban network, this paper proposes an empirical approach to examining the evolutionary mechanism of, rather than just mapping, the spatial pattern of the Chinese urban network from 1997 to 2015. The results show that the Chinese urban network is a complex structure that is embedded in China's unique context, where two interwoven processes, namely, globalization and decentralization, have shaped the network's spatial pattern. Moreover, the Chinese urban network is shifting from a single-core structure, with Beijing as its center, towards a diamond structure, anchored by the four ‘national centers’ of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu. Along with the transformation of their network structure, Chinese cities are interacting more closely and frequently. The results of the exponential random graph model (ERGM) show that the two interconnected forces, namely, globalization and decentralization, have tremendous impacts on the evolution of the Chinese urban network. Specifically, the uneven decentralization has a complex effect on the evolution of China's urban network in terms of a polarization-trickle-down-repolarization process. And the integration of inland China into the process of globalization has a significant effect on the connectivity of Chinese cities and causes a significant rise of central and western cities within the Chinese urban network.