Multi-scaled city networks based on automotive industry value chain: a case study from Urban Agglomeration in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River

Abstract

Researchers are increasingly focusing on city networks, but there has been little in-depth research on the spatial heterogeneity of city networks at different scales, which makes it easy to overlook the functional differences of various actors in the network at different scales. To fill this gap, this research employs a case study of the Urban Agglomeration in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to supplement multi-scaled data on the subject. This study reveals the emergence of three models of city networks in central China as a result of the automotive industry value chain, which spans from spare parts to automakers and sale/service. The first model is strongly connected city networks centered on the ‘Wuhan–Xiangyang–Shiyan’ economic belt and embeds itself in Hubei province. The second model is city networks centered on the ‘Changsha–Zhuzhou–Xiangtan’ Urban Agglomeration and embeds itself in Hunan province. The third model is flattened city networks that expand on their own in Jiangxi Province. The demand for vehicles fueled the growth of these city networks through spatial division of labor. However, there are still boundaries and distance that hinder expansion, and the fact that some automotive companies are state-owned has made them an essential instrument for the Chinese government to control regional city networks.