The Impact of Expressway Development on Industrial Structure in Rugged Terrain: The Case of Sichuan Province, China

Abstract

The expressway is an important pillar of economic development and has a significant impact on the transformation of regional industrial structure. This study analyzes the optimization of the industrial structure and spatial distribution of three industries using relevant statistical data from Sichuan Province, China. It also assesses the influence of expressways on the change in industrial structures using a difference-in-differences model. The results indicate that regions with well-developed expressway networks generated high-added value for the three industry sectors. The introduction of expressways upgraded the industrial structure of mountainous regions with rich tourism resources, increasing the added value of the tertiary industry and constricting the secondary industry. While aiding the overall development of the regional economy, expressways optimized the industrial structure and guided the transformation of the secondary industry, along with the development of the tertiary industry. Similarly, the private-sector economy also developed rapidly owing to the introduction of expressways. This study would serve as a useful reference for studying the relationship between expressways and regional economic development.

Research Progress of the Impacts of Comprehensive Transportation Network on Territorial Spatial Development and Protection

“…The assessment of regional economic effects in existing studies can be divided into two categories: one based on multiple linear regression, accessibility model, system dynamics theory, etc., to construct the correlation between infrastructure and regional economy and analyze its generating mechanism [53,54]. The second is based on scenario analysis to reveal the results of economic development under the scenario of infrastructure presence or absence, and the way of measuring the economic linkage between the cities concerned is mainly realized through the gravitational model, e.g., [55], WANG Jiao'e et al based on the GIS network analysis tool to study the economic intensity of the linkage between the cities in China under the three scenarios of no high-speed rail, the status quo of high-speed rail, and the planning of high-speed rail [56].…”

Research on infrastructure scale structure misallocation under economic and low-carbon perspectives: evidence from China's toll expressway industry

“…Being a crucial component of the transportation system, the construction, operation, and maintenance of expressways invariably result in substantial carbon emissions 8,9 . Consequently, resource allocation of expressways must account for not only its direct economic benefits and socio-economic contributions 10,11 , but also enhance its capacity for energy conservation and carbon reduction, such as the minimizing physical transaction costs and bridging spatial and temporal distances in resource allocation across various links 12,13 . Currently, the construction and planning of expressways confront challenges stemming from inefficient factor allocation and limited supply, as well as the pressures of resource and environmental constraints in the context of the dual-carbon goal 14 .…”