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Arid Land Geography ›› 2020, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (4): 1136-1145.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2020.04.29

• Regional Development • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatial pattern and industrial characteristics of economic development areas in western China

FU Jiao1, LI Jing1, JIA Hong-wen2, HUANG Yin-zhou1,3   

  1. 1 College of Earth & Environmental Sciences,Lanzhou University,Lanzhou 730000,Gansu,China;
    2 School of economics,Lanzhou University,Lanzhou 730000,Gansu,China;
    3 Arid Region & Desert Research Center,Lanzhou University,Lanzhou 730000,Gansu,China
  • Received:2019-03-05 Revised:2019-09-03 Online:2020-07-25 Published:2020-11-18

Abstract: Studying the spatial pattern of development zones in western China is not only conducive to understanding its evolution law in recent years but also a crucial means to comprehend regional economic development. Therefore,the basic data of 714 development zones in western China,including the leading industries,development zone names,built-up areas,and years of establishment,were collected to comprehensively analyze the spatial distribution pattern and clustering degree via the nearest distance method,nuclear density spatial analysis method,and multi-distance cluster analysis method. The results indicated as follows:(1) Development zones in western China show significant spatial agglomeration characteristics,presenting the evolution law of “multi-level agglomeration” and relying on key cities and urban agglomerations. (2) Overall,the degree and scale of the spatial agglomeration of development zones in the western region have shown an increasing trend,and the growth rate of the agglomeration scale is faster than the intensity of the agglomeration. (3) The agglomeration degree of all types of industries in the state-level development zones in the western region is stronger than that in the provincial-level development zones,while the agglomeration scale is weaker. The state-level development zones mainly develop capital- and technology-intensive industries,and the industrial distribution pattern presents the characteristics of a single core cluster. However,the provincial-level development zones are dominated by labor- and capital-intensive industries,with significant differences in their industrial distribution characteristics. The above research provides new ideas for future investigation into the space and industrial development of development zones in western China and has a certain practical significance for the rational use of development zones to strengthen the connection between urban clusters and achieve regional coordinated development.

Key words: development area, spatial distribution, dominant industry, western China