Abstract:

Taking 336 cities across China as research subject, this study employs Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) to analyze and discuss the spatial-temporal evolution and influencing factors of urban land economic density disparity in prefecture-level cities of China from 2001 to 2014. The results show that: ① Urban land economic density in prefecture-level cities of China increases, the average value increased from RMB 47.69 million per km² in 2001 to RMB 1.5375 billion per km² in 2014, with increasing regional disparity. ② Urban land economic density in prefecture-level cities of China displays significant global positive spatial autocorrelation, and neighboring cities interrelate, showing the spatial agglomeration of "high- high" or "low-low". From the LISA map, the spatial cluster of urban land economic density can be divided into high level and equally regional type, type of collapse, type of polarization and lower level and equally regional type, while the stability of the spatial distribution of various clubs are differ. ③ Cold spots and hot spots of the urban land economic density in prefecture-level cities of China distribute stably, showing the pattern of "hot east and cold west" on the whole, hot spots mainly lie in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River delta and the Pearl River delta; While most middle and west regions locate in the low value cluster, belonging to the cold spots or second cold spots of urban land economic density. ④ Natural conditions determines the supply ability and development potential of urban land, which is the basic factor for the disparity of urban land economic density in prefecture-level cities of China. Additionally, the level of regional economic development, the policies of regional economic development and land use management also have a certain influence on the disparity of urban land economic density.

Key words: urban land economic density, disparity, spatial-temporal evolution, influencing factors, China