High-speed rail network and urban agglomeration economies: Research from the perspective of urban network externalities

High-speed rail (HSR) has greatly promoted cross-regional economic activities, but few studies have been conducted from the perspective of urban network externalities (UNEs). Based on data from China from 2008 to 2019, this paper constructs an HSR operation network model to study the impact of the network position (NP) on urban agglomeration economies (UAEs) by jointly employing network and econometric analysis methods. The findings suggest the following: (1) Improvements to NP significantly enhance UAEs. Improving the comprehensive NP by 1% will increase urban output per capita by 193.5–226.8 RMB. The findings hold under several robustness tests. (2) The NP's facilitation of growth in UAEs is reflected mainly in national core cities, while the impact of peripheral cities reflects a “∽-shaped” curve as their distance from each nearest neighboring core city changes. (3) From the temporal-dynamic perspective, the NP's impact on UAEs appeared one year before the HSR line was opened and was fully realized three years after the opening of the HSR. (4) Investment agglomeration and expansions in borrowed size are the main mediating mechanisms whereby NP facilitates UAEs.     

Does the opening of high-speed rail enhance urban entrepreneurial activity? Evidence from China

Entrepreneurship plays a critical role in contributing to the realization of full employment in all countries around the world. By improving the efficiency of the flow of production factors, high-speed rail (HSR) has an important impact on regional economic development. However, little is known about whether HSR has improved urban entrepreneurial activity. This paper takes the opening of HSR as a quasi-natural experiment and constructs a difference-in-differences (DID) model, using panel data on 284 prefecture-level cities in China for the period from 2005 to 2019, to systematically evaluate the impact of HSR openings on urban entrepreneurial activity. We find that the opening of HSR has increased the urban entrepreneurial activity, and that this effect is more obvious in cities at high administrative levels, with locational advantages, and highly developed economies, including service industries. HSR can enhance urban entrepreneurial activity by improving the level of talent aggregation and venture capital. These findings provide fresh perspectives on the connection between HSR and urban entrepreneurial activity.     

高铁时代的城市经济增长路径与效益机制研究

本文基于综合的分析框架,探讨高铁对城市经济增长的影响及内在机制,并在不同规模城市之间进行比较;使用列车数作为城市高铁建设与运营水平的指标具体考察两种连接方式的不同影响,结合随机森林方法和样本划分进行了机制验证。结果显示,高铁的城市经济效益主要是一种间接影响,作用路径的不同解释了高铁对不同规模城市影响程度的差异性;随着城市规模的扩大,高铁在提高服务业生产效率和促进产业升级方面作用显著,而对于规模较小的城市,高铁的影响主要在于加速产业结构调整;从连接方式看,外向型交通网络的发展能够从多个方面提升大城市的经济绩效,而与邻近城市联系的加强对于中、小城市的发展显示出了积极的影响。     

Impact of high-speed railway on urban resilience in China: Does urban innovation matter?

Based on calculating the urban resilience index from five aspects of economy, society, institutions, infrastructure, and ecology by adopting the entropy method, this study applies the time-varying DID model to systematically examine HSR's impact on China's urban resilience, on basis of which its heterogeneities and the mediating effect of urban innovation are also quantified. The findings reveal that: (1) HSR can significantly promote China's urban resilience, as supported by various robustness tests. (2) HSR can significantly improve economic and institution resilience of cities, but does not play a significant role on social resilience and infrastructure resilience, and has a negative effect on ecological resilience. (3) The driving effects of HSR on the resilience of core cities, large cities, and non-resource-based cities are more significant. (4) Urban innovation is an important channel through which HSR impacts urban resilience. The conclusions of this study can offer useful insights for China's future HSR planning and resilient cities construction.     

Do high-speed railways accelerate urban land expansion in China? A study based on the multi-stage difference-in-differences model

High-speed railway (HSR) have become the main transportation mode in China and a crucial contributing factor for the formation and development of urban and regional spatial structure. This study aims to investigate the effects and mechanisms of HSR on urban land expansion in China. The multi-stage difference-in-differences (DID) estimation method is used to explore the cases of 35 mega cities. The main results are presented as follows. 1) Opening HSR can positively influence urban land expansion, as evidenced by the 9.5% increase in the urban land expansion index after such opening. 2) The increase in the number of HSR station and route can accelerate urban land expansion. Each newly added station increases the urban land expansion index by 2.4%, and urban land expansion increases 4.8% when a new HSR route is added. 3) The positive effects of the opening of HSR on urban land expansion generally have a time lag of five years. 4) Compared with cities in the east, the midwestern ones are more vulnerable to the impact of HSR. The net effect of HSR on urban land expansion for midwestern cities is 10.9% higher than that for cities in the east. Furthermore, the mechanisms of the effect of HSR on urban land expansion are the industrial agglomeration effect of HSR and the incentive effect of local governments’ land finance alongside the development of HSR.     

城市轨道交通对房地产价格的影响--以北京市轻轨13号线为例

轨道交通建设对沿线房地产价格产生的影响越发明显,为了分析这种影响的范围和程度,以北京市轻轨13号线为例,分析了沿线房地产价格的分布特征.结果表明,轻轨站点在城市中心区对房价的影响较小,越远离城区对房价的影响程度和范围越大;在城市中心区和外围区对地价的影响一直集中在1公里范围内.因此,在轨道交通规划的影响下,房地产价格分布格局将发生新的变化.     

Does high-speed railway promote urban innovation? Evidence from China

Empirical discussion in the existing literature on the relationship between transportation infrastructure and innovation remains limited. As one of the most important transport infrastructures, China's high-speed railway (HSR) has greatly compressed the space-time distance and strengthened the linkages between cities, which may contribute to innovation activities. Using the panel data of 285 Chinese prefecture-level and above cities and employing the difference-in-differences (DID) model, this paper examines the impact of HSR opening and HSR service intensity on the urban innovation. Propensity score matching (PSM) together with DID (PSM-DID) method is utilized to address the potential estimation biases. The empirical results demonstrate that HSR has significantly improved the level of urban innovation. Heterogeneity analysis finds that the promotion effects of HSR on innovation are more remarkable in peripheral and small cities. Moreover, the effects of HSR on cities far away from the central and large cities are with higher significance and greater magnitude than cities close to central and large cities. For cities near central and large cities, the service intensity of HSR is more likely to improve their innovation level. In addition, we further find that service industries and private enterprises benefit more from the effect of HSR in promoting innovation. This study can provide robust evidence for the effect of HSR on promoting urban innovation, as well as policy enlightenment for innovation growth and sustainable economic development.     

Unraveling the dynamic changes of high-speed rail network with urban development: Evidence from China

Previous studies have used complex network theory to examine the characteristics of China's High-Speed Rail (HSR). Nevertheless, little attention is paid to China's HSR network's dynamic evolution and the coevolution of node attributes and embedded structural characteristics. Our study builds China's HSR network using a complex network approach and spatial analysis technique to address this issue. Additionally, we employ a stochastic actor-oriented model (SAOM) to properly decompose the three types of effects on the generation of China's HSR network (i.e., network structure, attribute-based similarity, and exogenous control variables). This study discusses the underlying hypotheses and indicates that 3-cycles is a critical structural factor for the formation of China's HSR network. In terms of the effects of attribute-based similarity, cities with similar Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and geographical proximity are essential nodal drivers for the evolution of the HSR network. Notably, the administrative rank of cities exhibits a significantly negative driving force and a alter effect. These findings shed light on the interactive process of urban regional development and the dynamic evolution of the HSR network, assisting the central and local governments in enacting and implementing appropriate HSR planning policies, ultimately achieving effective urban planning and management.     

轨道交通对北京就业空间结构的影响——基于经济普查数据的分析

本文基于北京市第一次、第二次全国经济普查数据,采用探索性空间数据分析方法,以轨道交通1号线、2号线、5号线、13号线以及八通线为对象,研究不同类型的轨道交通线站对周边一定辐射范围内就业空间结构的影响趋势及程度,分析两个时间截面间的轨道交通线站周边产业集聚变动情况,在此基础上剖析轨道交通线站周边分产业的就业空间结构变动趋势与特点。     

The impact of executive diversity on corporate innovation: Evidence from the natural experiment of high‐speed rail in China

We examine the impact of executive diversity on corporate innovation using an exogenous natural experiment: the implementation of high‐speed rail (HSR) in China. The findings suggest that after a city implements HSR, firms increase their executive diversity, resulting in better corporate innovation than firms in non‐HSR cities. Additional analysis suggests that when a firm belongs to a competitive industry, is located in a low marketization region, or operates in a poor transportation region, the impact of HSR on executive diversity and corporate innovation is magnified. Our findings carry implications for other emerging markets.     

Research on the impact of mega-projects on carrying capacity of cities taking the first-line project of the West-East gas pipeline as an example

With the acceleration of China’s urbanization, the functions and benefits of mega-projects are required higher. With the deepening of “the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road”, the quantitative evaluation of multinational investment projects will help strengthen cross-border communication among government, society and enterprises, which provide a basis for mutual trust. This study empirically analyzes and evaluates the impact of mega-projects on carrying capacity of cities, by using the DID method based on the panel data of 15 cities in China from 2000 to 2013. The results show that the construction and operation of the first-line project of the West-East gas pipeline has a significant positive impact on the improvement of carrying capacity of cities along the line. However, the degree of impact on three dimensions is slightly different. The impact on the social carrying capacity is the greatest, then the ecological and economic carrying capacity. Therefore, the decisions of domestic mega-projects should be unified with urban planning to promote the sustainable development of China’s economy and social. The investment of mega-projects abroad should also be coordinated with the carrying capacity of host cities, in order to enhance the competitiveness and creativity of Chinese multinational mega-projects investment.     

从"畅通工程"看我国城市建设和交通管理等部门的合作协调机制

近10年来,以北京、上海、广州等为典型代表的中国城市所出现的交通问题是空前严重的.所以, 国家在2000年提出了"畅通工程"作为一个重要对策.目前,"畅通工程"已实施1年多,它给人们以什么启示?在此基础上,今后我国城市建设和交通管理等部门的合作协调又该如何进行?对此,作者进行了探讨.     

Dynamics of urban sprawl and sustainable development in China

Compared with the rich literature on urban sprawl in Western cities, relatively little is known of the driving factors, processes, and future trends of urban sprawl in China. This research analyzes the socioeconomic forces behind two parts of urban sprawl in China: urban decentralization and urban renewal, and reveals two basic characteristics of Chinese urban sprawl: de-densification and expansion of urbanized areas. It uses the term “urban sprawl” to consider the reasons behind urban transformation on a regional level in China. This research begins with definitions of sprawl in Western and Eastern countries, and follows with a dynamic analysis of the social, political, and cultural aspects of sprawl. Three case studies focus on three urban regions in China: Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. This research provides a comprehensive definition of “urban sprawl” in China, identifies the patterns of urban sprawl and growth, and indicates possible alternative strategies for urban expansion. Finally, it offers suggestions on how to effectively control urban sprawl in China, and provides a pathway to achieving sustainable development.     

消费型城市的增长方式及其影响研究——以北京市为例

随着中国经济增长方式与社会发展方式的转型,投资与出口作为推动经济与社会发展的两大引擎的作用逐渐弱化,而消费作为拉动城市经济与社会发展的第三大引擎的作用日益显著.消费需求不仅在城市经济结构调整中扮演着重要角色,更对传统城市规划的理念与模式产生了巨大的冲击,并深刻影响着城市空间结构的演变.本文阐述了消费型城市的概念,提出其特点,并以北京市为实例进行分析,最后对中国消费型城市在发展过程中所遇到的普遍问题及解决方案进行初步的探讨.     

Are China's HSR tariff affordable and economic equitable? An international comparison perspective

While the issues of high-speed rail (HSR) tariff and its impact on equity have always been a hot topic in China, which also attracted the attention of international researchers, research on the level of HSR tariff from the perspective of individual affordability and equity issue have scarcely been considered. This study therefore aims to fill the research gap by quantifying the HSR relative tariff level and its impact on income/regional distribution via introducing a HSR affordability index.Based on the index, we calculate the HSR affordability levels of the main international sample countries with the order of magnitude. Then we expand the analysis of HSR affordability level according to differentiated HSR pricing practice in the selected countries. At the same time, we compare the HSR tariff impact on economic equity among different countries, regions, and social classes.The result indicates that although the absolute level of HSR tariff is low, China is generally in the middle/the lowest and unbalanced position among the sample countries on HSR affordability in terms of expensiveness and economic equity. When we considered the differentiated tariff policy implemented in Europe and Japan, the affordability gap between China and the other countries is further enlarged. Moreover, inequitable distribution of HSR affordability between different income groups and social classes are found larger not only within China, but also higher when compared to the other sample countries.Finally, we conclude that China should implement differentiated HSR pricing system at a larger scale and greater extent based on the Ramsey pricing and Yield management principle to grasp the additional revenue from the high level income group/the developed region and alleviate the economic equity as well. Meanwhile, we also suggest the balance between HSR affordability for passengers themselves and the macro financial affordability for the country as a whole should also be considered in the future HSR pricing regime formulation.     

Relaxing Hukou: Increased labor mobility and China’s economic geography

China’s Hukou system poses severe restrictions on labor mobility. This paper assesses the possible consequences of relaxing these restrictions for China’s internal economic geography. We base our analysis on a new economic geography (NEG) model. First, we estimate the important model parameters using data on 264 of China’s prefecture cities. Second, we use these estimates as inputs in a simulation of the full NEG model under different labor mobility regimes. We find that increased labor mobility leads to more pronounced core–periphery outcomes. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing in particular will further strengthen their dominant place in China’s urban hierarchy. In addition, two other groups of cities can be distinguished: those in China’s populous heartland offering preferential access to China’s enormous internal market, and more peripheral cities that are better shielded from competition with China’s economic heartland by virtue of their relative remoteness.     

中国城市影响域的空间格局研究

文章通过对引力定理的研究证明了城市影响域的几何特征和其随距离摩擦系数的变化规律,利用ARCGIS计算了全国城市引力场的分布,利用空间聚类分析确定了中国的城市群,利用空间溶解划分了各城市的影响域,并在城市群和城市影响域的基础上结合自然和经济区位将中国划分为13个经济区.主要结论有:城市引力场的分布是区域不均衡发展的表现形式;可通过城市引力场分布状况研究城市体系的空间结构和特征;中国的城市影响域远未形成标准的正六边形影响域镶嵌结构;城市引力场较弱的经济区的地域可能被较强的经济区挤占.     

规划引导型城市群战略深化路径研究

规划引导型城市群是中国经济发展最弱但也是最具潜力的区域,从空间经济学角度来看,规划引导型城市群战略存在四个问题:城市群间协同政策不足、总体发展程度弱、核心城市不够发达、核心和外围城市间渠道不畅。在城市群发展时空演变理论的基础上,结合8个城市群的不同特点,提出“十四五”时期规划引导型城市群的差异化战略深化路径。     

北京城市轨道交通现状及快速发展动因分析

改革开放以来,北京城市公共交通尤其是城市轨道交通基础设施和运营管理得到了较快发展,占城市通勤出行的比重越来越高,有效缓解了北京城市化和工业化进程中的城市交通拥堵问题,促进了经济社会和谐发展.文章在总结北京城市轨道交通取得巨大成就基础上,分析了北京城市轨道交通快速发展的动力机制,认为经济发展、科学规划、"奥运效应"、制度创新是提升北京城市轨道交通的最主要的四大推动因素.     

京津冀区域空间格局及其优化整合分析

本文以京津冀区域空间结构为研究对象,从点、线、网络和域面四个基本空间要素入手,研究提升区域竞争力的空间整合规律.研究认为,京津冀区域人口和城镇体系的空间分布不均衡,一方面,以自然条件为基础,呈现东南集中特征,另一方面,中小城镇分布以京广、京九、京哈铁路等为依托,呈现以北京为中心的强向心分布;城镇带分布大体可划分为京广线...