Impact of high-speed railway construction on spatial relationships in the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration

doi:10.1016/j.regsus.2021.01.001

Abstract

Abstract:

The Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration is a response to the Belt and Road Initiative in Northwest China that aims to promote regional development. The direct impact of high-speed railway construction is to shorten the spatial-temporal distance among regions, improve the accessibility of regional transportation, and promote socioeconomic linkages. From the perspective of accessibility, this study analyzes the impact of high-speed railway construction on the spatial patterns and county-level economic relationships of the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration. The results show that the construction of high-speed railway significantly improves regional accessibility, increases the potential for urban economic development, and gradually narrows the gaps in economic potential among cities. The construction of high-speed railway has increased the intensity of external economic relations among numerous counties in the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration, and most of the areas with increased connections are located in the direction of routes extension. The development of the internal economic network of the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration is unbalanced, and a complex network is gradually emerging with a few large cities at the core, but the construction of high-speed railway is changing the structure of the economic network. In general, a certain degree of intrinsic coupling exists between regional accessibility change and the evolution of economic relations caused by high-speed railway, reflecting the requirements of the regional overall development strategy.

Key words: High-speed railway, Accessibility, Spatial relation pattern, Road network, Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration

Huiling Zheng, Xiaoshu Cao. Impact of high-speed railway construction on spatial relationships in the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration[J]. Regional Sustainability, 2021, 2(1): 47-59.

Figures/Tables 8

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Order	Without high-speed railway		Partial high-speed railway lines access in 2016		Completion of the planned high-speed railway lines in 2035
Order	Area	R_i (×10⁶)	Area	R_i (×10⁶)	Area	R_i (×10⁶)
1	Yanta District	18.21	Yanta District	19.44	Yanta District	20.06
2	Beilin District	10.85	Beilin District	11.74	Beilin District	12.09
3	Lianhu District	9.71	Lianhu District	11.22	Lianhu District	11.69
4	Weiyang District	7.97	Weiyang District	8.62	Weiyang District	9.21
5	Xincheng District	7.14	Xincheng District	8.04	Xincheng District	8.45
6	Changan District	2.70	Changan District	2.83	Changan District	3.11
7	Qindu District	2.24	Qindu District	2.62	Qindu District	2.99
8	Baqiao District	1.56	Baqiao District	1.64	Baqiao District	2.31
9	Weicheng District	1.35	Weicheng District	1.53	Weicheng District	1.96
10	Weibin District	1.15	Weibin District	1.16	Gaoling District	1.39

Serial number	Without high-speed railway		Partial high-speed railway lines access in 2016		Completion of the planned high-speed railway lines in 2035
Serial number	Area	Betweenness centrality	Area	Betweenness centrality	Area	Betweenness centrality
1	Yanta District	3.886	Yanta District	6.011	Yanta District	8.558
2	Xingping City	3.830	Xingping City	4.673	Fufeng County	2.948
3	Yangling District	2.829	Yangling District	3.367	Hejin City	2.490
4	Fufeng County	2.523	Fufeng County	2.974	Xingping City	2.291
5	Qishan County	2.011	Qishan County	2.368	Weiyang District	2.260
6	Yaozhou District	1.839	Yaozhou District	2.043	Zhouzhi County	2.254
7	Sanyuan County	1.516	Yanhu District	1.877	Sanyuan County	2.195
8	Zhouzhi County	1.487	Wugong County	1.800	Linwei District	1.812
9	Wugong County	1.487	Zhouzhi County	1.800	Qian County	1.760
10	Linwei District	1.285	Linwei District	1.762	Mei County	1.729
…	…	…	…	…	…	…
86	Tongguan County	0.000	Tongguan County	0.000	Tongguan County	0.000
87	Lingtai County	0.000	Lingtai County	0.000	Lingtai County	0.000
88	Zhangjiachuan County	0.000	Zhangjiachuan County	0.000	Zhangjiachuan County	0.000
89	Zhashui County	0.000	Zhashui County	0.000	Zhashui County	0.000
90	Yongji City	0.000	Yongji City	0.000	Yongji City	0.000
Mean value	0.389		0.495		0.588
Network centralization index (%)	3.540		5.580		8.060

First level	Second level	Third level	County unit	First level	Second level	Third level	County unit
1	1.1	1.1.1	Qindu District	1	1.3	1.3.1	Houma City
			Xingping City			1.3.1	Jishan County
			Hu County			1.3.2	Qinzhou District
			Lintong District				Gangu County
			Linwei District				Yintai District
			Jingyang County				Linyi County
			Xincheng District				Jintai District
			Weicheng District				Weibin District
			Yangliang District				Xia County
			Sanyuan County				Baishui County
			Yanta District				Wangyi District
			Gaoling District				Qishan County
			Chang’an District				Yongshou County
			Weiyang District				Hejin City
			Lianhu District				Qinan County
			Beilin District				Wenxi County
			Baqiao District				Heyang County
		1.1.2	Qian County				Fengxiang County
			Hua County				Chencang District
			Liquan County				Maiji District
			Dali County		1.4	1.4.1	Chunhua County
			Wugong County				Xifeng District
			Lantian County				Xunyi County
			Pucheng County				Taibai County
			Yaozhou District				Changwu County
			Tongguan County				Yijun County
			Huayin City				Danfeng County
			Zhouzhi County				Feng County
			Fuping County				Chengcheng County
	1.2	1.2.1	Shangzhou District				Wushan County
			Luonan County				Qianyang County
			Yongji City				Long County
		1.2.2	Yangling District				Linyou County
			Mei County				Bin County
			Zhashui County				Qingshui County
			Yanhu District				Yicheng County
			Fufeng County				Fushan County
	1.3	1.3.1	Hancheng City				Huating County
			Xinjing County				Kongdong District
			Hongtong County				Chongxin County
			Huozhou City				Jingchuan County
			Quwo County				Lingtai County
			Yaodu District				Zhangjiachuan County
			Wanrong County				Ruicheng County
			Xiangfen County				Jiang County

First level	Second level	Third level	County unit	First level	Second level	Third level	County unit
1	1.1	1.1.1	Qindu District	1	1.2	1.2.2	Yangling District
			Xingping City				Chengcheng County
			Hu County				Mei County
			Lintong District				Heyang County
			Qian County				Danfeng County
			Jingyang County				Dali County
			Xincheng District				Hancheng City
			Weicheng District				Shangzhou District
			Yangliang District		1.3	1.3.1	Fengxiang County
			Linwei District				Xia County
			Yanta District				Gangu County
			Gaoling District				Maiji District
			Chang'an District				Wanrong County
			Weiyang District				Qinzhou District
			Sanyuan County				Qinan County
			Fuping County				Wenxi County
			Beilin District				Linyi County
			Lantian County				Weibin District
			Baqiao District			1.3.2	Quwo County
			Liquan County				Hongtong County
			Pucheng County				Houma City
			Lianhu District				Xinjing County
		1.1.2	Zhouzhi County				Huozhou City
			Wugong County				Yaodu District
			Yaozhou District				Xiangfen County
			Hua County				Jishan County
			Huayin City		1.4	1.4.1	Changwu County
			Fufeng County				Feng County
			Bin County				Taibai County
			Zhashui County				Wushan County
			Wangyi District				Qianyang County
			Tongguan County				Long County
			Yintai District				Linyou County
	1.2	1.2.1	Jintai District				Xunyi County
			Chunhua County				Qingshui County
			Yijun County				Yicheng County
			Baishui County				Fushan County
			Xifeng District				Huating County
			Yongji City				Kongdong District
			Yongshou County				Chongxin County
			Chencang District				Jingchuan County
			Luonan County				Lingtai County
			Hejin City				Zhangjiachuan County
			Yanhu District				Ruicheng County
		1.2.2	Qishan County				Jiang County

First level	Second level	Third level	County unit	First level	Second level	Third level	County unit
1	1.1	1.1.1	Qindu District	1	1.3	1.3.2	Yintai District
			Xingping City				Weibin District
			Hu County				Hejin City
			Lintong District				Gangu County
			Linwei District				Jintai District
			Jingyang County				Linyi County
			Xincheng District				Heyang County
			Weicheng District				Yongshou County
			Yangliang District				Xia County
			Sanyuan County				Baishui County
			Yanta District				Wangyi District
			Gaoling District				Qishan County
			Chang’an District				Fengxiang County
			Weiyang District				Yanhu District
			Beilin District				Qinan County
			Fuping County				Wenxi County
			Baqiao District				Maiji District
			Lantian County				Yongji City
			Lianhu District				Chencang District
		1.1.2	Qian County		1.4	1.4.1	Chunhua County
			Pucheng County				Xifeng District
			Liquan County				Taibai County
			Zhouzhi County				Xunyi County
			Wugong County				Chengcheng County
			Yaozhou District				Changwu County
	1.2	1.2.1	Yangling District				Yijun County
			Mei County				Danfeng County
			Fufeng County				Feng County
			Luonan County				Jingchuan County
			Shangzhou District				Wushan County
			Zhashui County				Qianyang County
		1.2.2	Hua County				Long County
			Huayin City				Linyou County
			Dali County				Bin County
	1.3	1.3.1	Quwo County				Qingshui County
			Hancheng City				Yicheng County
			Xiangfen County				Fushan County
			Yaodu District				Huating County
			Xinjing County				Kongdong District
			Hongtong County				Chongxin County
			Huozhou City				Tongguan County
			Jishan County				Lingtai County
			Houma City				Zhangjiachuan County
			Wanrong County				Ruicheng County
		1.3.2	Qinzhou District				Jiang County