Abstract
Sharing the economic agglomeration effects of large cities is considered an effective way to enhance economic growth in small and medium-sized cities, yet there remains a lack of relevant quantitative empirical research. In this study, the three dimensions of borrowing size of 285 prefecture-level cities and nighttime lighting data from 2004 to 2013 in China are used to assess its effect on economic development by a fixed-effects model with panel data. The results show that first, the effect of borrowing size on small and medium-sized cities’ economic development is significantly positive. In contrast, the effect of borrowing size on large cities is not significant. Second, the magnitude of the impact of borrowing size on small and medium-sized cities varies considerably across regions. In middle and western China, the most significant positive effect is from borrowing economic activity density and borrowing advanced functions. However, in eastern China, the most significant positive effect is from borrowing population, while borrowing advanced functions has a significant negative effect. In the northeast, borrowing economic activity density has a significant positive effect. This article provides policy recommendations in three areas: improving intercity accessibility, rationalizing the layout of urban industries, and supporting the development of education.
Highlights
Sharing the economic agglomeration effects of large cities is considered an effective way to enhance economic growth in small and medium-sized cities, yet there remains a lack of relevant quantitative empirical research
How do we improve the economic growth of small and medium-sized cities? What are the reasons for the differences in the levels of economic development of small and medium-sized cities? In this study, we introduce the concept of “borrowing size” and analyze the impact of borrowing size on the economic development of small and medium-sized cities from the perspective of the national urban network [11]
This study mainly explores the impact of the three dimensions of borrowing size on the economic development of small and medium-sized cities
Summary
The development of small and medium-sized cities is an important aspect of healthy urban agglomeration in metropolitan areas [1]. Issued by the National Development and Reform Commission of China on 31 March 2019 stated that to achieve high-quality urbanization, attention must be paid to the development of various-sized cities in urban agglomerations, and the development of small and medium-sized cities should be supported. Using nighttime lighting data for 285 prefecture-level cities in China from 2004 to 2013, we use empirical analysis to identify both favorable and unfavorable factors related to the economic development of small and medium-sized cities in an effort to identify shortcomings and provide policy recommendations that will help to promote the healthy economic development of these cities, thereby helping to coordinate China’s new urbanization and regional development and increase both efficiency and equity
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