Research on regional accessibility and evolution of spatial structure: based on the demonstration of the core zone 30a of the Silk Road economic belt

Abstract

The transportation network is the foundation and skeleton of regional development, and it is essential to promote the efficient flow and rational allocation of various resource factors. The "Vision and Actions for Promoting the Construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road" emphasizes that infrastructure interconnection is a priority area in constructing the "Belt and Road." Therefore, this paper explores the accessibility and spatial structure evolution of the country's westward opening based on the 30-year transportation network of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt and provides primary data for exploring the depth of the Belt and Road. The results of the study show that: in terms of accessibility evolution, there is a continuous step transition with Urumqi, Changji, and Korla as the center, and the center is high, and the border is low; the accessibility of the Kazakhstan-Mongolia-Russia triple junction has evolved most significantly and achieved a "triple jump" within the study period; while the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has yet to continue and develop, and the southwest section is still accessible. The southwest section is still a relatively lagging section in terms of accessibility. As for the evolution of spatial structure, the density of the transportation network doubled during the study period, and the overall increase of central potential was 19.3%, indicating that the spatial scope of structural adjustment of the transportation network becomes more and more extensive as the level of regional connectivity continues to expand.