建国以来,中国大陆城市体系空间格局发生了深刻的变化。传统的空间分析方法很难深入刻画城市体系空间格局的空间演化过程。运用Kernel空间密度分析方法,就建国以来国家城市化空间过程进行系统研究。结果显示:①中国城市空间分布密度在省区间存在明显的空间差异,且在1949~2003年间不断扩大。②中国城市空间分布具有"东密西疏/南密北疏"的基本倾向没有发生根本性变更。③中国城市空间分布在省区尺度上表现为"先减弱(1949~1965)、后增强(1965~1984)、再减弱并趋于稳定(1984~2003)"的趋势。④ 国家城市分布空间的节点结构发育逐渐趋于完善。⑤中国大陆城市空间从1949年的3个城市集聚区发育至2003年的20个。

During the past 50 years, there were many changes in the study on spatial structure of Chinese urban distribution, such as the spatial inequality of cities’distribution, spatial aggregation of cities, spatial interaction of urban system and so on.Traditional approach, composed of qualitative analysis and simple data statistical analysis, can not describe the evolution of spatial structure of urban system efficaciously.As a useful method the Kernel spatial approach could be handled by the ‘non-sophisticated’.According to this paper the density of Chinese cities has obvious inequality which has been enlarging since 1949, and the spatial pattern of urban system has extended southwest with the obvious movement of concentrated areas.The intensity of spatial accumulation had been weaker from 1949 to 1985, stronger from 1985 to 1994 and weaker from 1995 to 2003.The model of spatial pattern of Chinese urban system was "slightly aggregative" before 1978, "random" from 1978 to 1985, "slightly aggregative" from 1985 to 1992, and "intensely aggregative" from 1992 to 2003.