The city network and the regional evolution in Yangtze river delta, China

A consensus was forming during the past 20 years in Europe about the assumption that the city network has been a new paradigm of a winning regional structure (see for example Camagni, 1993; Dematteis, 1997; Scott, 2001 and Capello, 2007). This study assumed that the city network would also emerge in Chinese cities system in these years when the industrialization is progressing vigorously and the post-industrialization is undergoing in several cities in China. It belongs to the regional and urban studies sphere, took the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China as the case study, expatiated the phenomenon, factors and corresponding transformations of city network in the studied region, and contributed new features to the city network concept itself. It utilized both quantitative and qualitative approaches in dealing with the study area. It started from the economic and geographical definitions, then applied the geographical models to the Fortune 500 (2012) database on cities and firms, and implemented the network analysis theories in quantifying the city network in study area. Later it used statistical approaches, narrative research on the case study in order to interpret the reasons behind. Finally it discussed the possible corresponding outcomes in terms of population and territorial spatial transformations by the means of correlation analysis. In conclusion, the study presented that the city network structure and the hierarchy of city network is verified in Yangtze River Delta, China in recent 10 years although it is not balance enough. And the topography-related economy and culture, the specializations and the relational proximity played important roles in shaping the urban networks in this region. Especially it observed that the base of city network has evolved from strong towards weak specializations with mix urban services. The city network is corresponding to the urban pools, both metropolis and medium size cities, where knowledge and skilled jobs are concentrated and to the territorial expansions (within a limited territorial extension), but they are actually enhanced reciprocally: the city network has been a model for allocating production factors – human, land and knowledge, and these factors also feed-back enhancing the city network itself.

Un consenso si stava formando nel corso degli ultimi 20 anni in Europa circa l'ipotesi che la rete di città è stata un nuovo paradigma di una struttura regionale vincente (vedi per esempio Camagni, 1993; Dematteis, 1997; Scott, 2001 e Capello, 2007). Questo studio ipotizza che la rete di città sarebbe emergere anche nel sistema di città cinesi in questi anni in cui l'industrializzazione sta procedendo con vigore e il post-industrializzazione sta vivendo in diverse città della Cina. Appartiene alla studi ambito regionale e urbano, ha preso il delta del fiume Yangtze (YRD), la Cina come caso di studio, expatiated il fenomeno, i fattori e le trasformazioni corrispondenti rete di città nella regione studiata, e ha contribuito nuove caratteristiche al concetto di rete città stesso.