Spatiotemporal Linkages between Administrative Division Adjustment and Urban Form: Political Drivers of the Urban Polycentric Structure

Abstract

As a crucial government strategy for spatial management and resource allocation, administrative division adjustment (ADA) provides interesting insights in the investigation of the polycentric urban structure (POLY). Using high-resolution geographic grid population data, this study aims to interpret complex linkages between ADA and POLY. Specifically, this research explores the dynamic evolution of POLY and ADA, investigates the spatiotemporal impact of ADA on POLY based on geographically and temporally weighted regression models and analyzes the differences in socioeconomic driving forces for POLY in cities with and without ADA. The results demonstrate that the value of POLY had a rising trend during the study periods. In terms of spatial pattern, POLY has a higher value in the Eastern region and a lower value in the Western region. The influences of ADA on POLY are also characterized by spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The impact of ADA on POLY has a higher value in Eastern and Western China and a lower value in Central and Northeastern China. In addition, the impacts of socioeconomic factors on POLY between cities with and without ADA differed significantly in Central and Western China while differing insignificantly in Eastern and Northeastern China. To promote the balanced development of administrative institutional structures and urban spatial transformation, ADA should be selectively implemented to facilitate POLY following the level of population, economic and productive development in each region.