关键词: 空间结构, 多中心, 集聚经济, 经济绩效

Abstract:

Implementing polycentric development strategy is seen, by substantial urban and regional planning, as the major policy instrument to achieve the objective of spatial balanced development in China. However, the question whether the polycentric spatial structure is economically efficient or not is not answered, especially the economic performance comparison between mono-centric and polycentric spatial structure. Based on classifying the relative theoretical and empirical studies on polycentric economic performance, this article concludes the following findings. Firstly, in theory, polycentric spatial structure can obtain agglomeration economy enjoyed by one single city under the same size through ‘borrowed size’, specialization and cooperation among cities, and relatively avoiding agglomeration diseconomy owing to the small size. Secondly, in practice, the consensus that polycentric spatial structure is economically efficient has not yet achieved owing to the heterogeneity of urban size, economic development level, geographical scale, functional connections and industrial type. In the end, we put forward some directions for domestic research and policy implications. The first priority is to build the academic framework for study on polycentric spatial structure, including spatial layout measurement, performance identification and mechanism analysis. What's more, deepening the characteristics identification and evolution analysis of polycentric spatial structure is necessary. For instance, we can make use of new techniques and methods, such as big data, to measure the spatial structure of different scales, and lay more emphasis on the functional linkage. Finally, we should pay more attention to the comparative study between China and foreign countries, for instance, analyzing the different roles of governments in the formation of polycentric spatial structure.

Key words: spatial structure, polycentric, agglomeration economy, economic performance