Spatial-temporal distribution pattern of inter-urban organization network and its interaction process with aviation development has always been a hot issue in regional economy and transport geography. Civil aviation is the fastest growing travel mode in China. Nonetheless, research on this issue have been limited by the lack of systematic data-- especially spatial data--as well as other related data sources, and by the limitation of the quantitative methods in exploring the organization and efficiency of the inter-urban organization network in transitional China. This paper is a general process evaluation and actual description of the spatio-temporal structural characteristics of the Inter-urban Aviation Network in China (IANC) from 1983 to 2006 based on complex network methods. The conclusions can be drawn as follows. 1) The IANC exhibits the densification trends featured by a small-world network. 2) It follows the "hub-and-spoke" network organization model. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen act as the multi-hubs, and the spatial connections among them act as the spokes. Urumqi and Kunming are particularly important local hubs; around them have formed two relatively independent local hub-and-spoke networks. 3) A "saddle-type" model has formed in the evolution of the IANC. Specifically, the structures of the eastern and western regions' aviation networks are better formed than that of the central region. 4) The cities in the IANC show a "community network" effect. To be more specific, hub cities, geographical neighboring cities, and cities with similar urban functions have similar urban spatial interaction characteristics. 5) The hub status of 35 important cities in the network varied with the development of the IANC. Moreover, there are great spatial disparities among tourist cities such as Huangshan and Lijiang, coastal cities such as Dalian and Qingdao, and western cities such as Lhasa.
WU Wenjie, DONG Zhengbin, ZHANG Wenzhong, JIN Fengjun, MA Xiujun, XIE Kunqing
. Spatio-temporal Evolution of the China's Inter-urban Organization Network Structure: Based on Aviation Data from 1983 to 2006[J]. Acta Geographica Sinica, 2011
, 66(4)
: 435
-445
.
DOI: 10.11821/xb201104001
[1] Burghouwt B, Hakfoort G. The evolution of the European aviation network, 1990-1998. Journal of Air TransportManagement, 2001, (7): 311-318.
[2] Fleming D K, Hayuth Y. Spatial characteristics of transportation hubs: Centrality and intermediacy. Journal of TransportGeography, 1994, 2(3): 3-18.
[3] Goetz A R. Deregulation, competition and antitrust implications in the US airline industry. Journal of TransportGeography, 2002, 10(1): 1-19.
[4] Vowles T M. The geographic effects of US airline alliances. Journal of Transport Geography, 2000, 8(4): 277-285.
[5] Amaral L A N, Scala A, Barthelemy M. Classes of small-world networks. Proceedings of the National Academy ofSciences, USA, 2000, 97: 11149-11152.
[6] Guimera R, Mossa S, Turtschi A. The worldwide air transportation network: Anomalous centrality, community structure,and cities' global roles. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 2005, 102: 7794-7799.
[7] Barrat A, Barthelemy M, Pastor-Satorras R. The architecture of complex weighted networks. Proceedings of theNational Academy of Sciences, USA, 2004, 101: 3747-3752.
[8] Guimera R, Amaral L A N. Modeling the world-wide airport network. The European Physical Journal B, 2004, 38:381-385.
[9] Bagler G. Analysis of the airport network of India as a complex weighted network. Physica A, 2008, 387: 2972-2980.
[10] Jin Fengjun. A study on network of domestic air passenger flow in China. Geographical Research, 2001, 20(1):31-39. [金凤君. 我国航空客流网络发展及其地域系统研究. 地理研究, 2001, 20(1): 31-39.]
[11] Jin Fengjun, Wang Fahui, Liu Yi. Geographic pattern of air passenger transport in China 1980-1998: Imprints ofeconomic growth, regional inequality, and network development. The Professional Geographer, 2004, 56(4): 471-487.
[12] Jin Fengjun, Wu Wenjie. The spatial economic impact of upgrade of railway passenger traffic system in China.Economic Geography, 2007, 27(6): 888-895. [金凤君, 武文杰. 中国铁路客运系统提速的空间经济影响. 经济地理,2007, 27(6): 888-895.]
[13] Wang Jiao'e, Mo Huihui, Jin Fengjun. Spatial pattern of the worldwide airports and its enlightenment. World RegionalStudies, 2008, 17(3): 8-18. [王姣娥, 莫辉辉, 金凤君. 世界机场空间格局及对中国的启示. 世界地理研究, 2008, 17(3): 8-18.]
[14] Wang Jiao'e, Jin Fengjun, Sun Wei et al. Research on spatial distribution and service level of Chinese airport system.Acta Geographica Sinica, 2006, 61(8): 829-838. [王姣娥, 金凤君, 孙炜等.中国机场体系的空间格局及其服务水平.地理学报, 2006, 61(8): 829-838.]
[15] Wang Fahui, Jin Fengjun, Zeng Guang. Geographic patterns of air passenger transport in China. Scientia GeographicaSinica, 2003, 23(5):519-526. [王法辉, 金凤君, 曾光. 中国航空客运网络的空间演化模式研究. 地理科学, 2003, 23(5): 519-526.]
[16] O'Kelly M. Geography's analysis of hub-and-spoke networks. Journal of Transport Geography, 1998, 6(3): 171-186.
[17] Watts D J, Steven S. Collective dynamics of 'small-world' networks. Nature, 1998, 393: 440-442.
[18] Graham B. Geography and Air Transport. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 1995.
[19] Freeman L C. A set of measures of centrality based upon betweenness. Sociometry, 1977, 40: 35-41.
[20] Barthelemy M, Barrat A, Pastor-Satorras R. Characterization and modelling of weighted networks. Physica A, 2005,346: 34-43.
[21] Erdos P, Renyi A. On random graphs. Publ. Math. (Debrecen), 1959, 6: 290-297.
[22] Asmussen Søren. Applied Probability and Queues. Berlin: Springer, 2003.
[23] Jin Fengjun, Wang Chengjin. Hub and spoke system and China aviation network organization. Geographical Research,2005, 24(5): 775-784. [金凤君, 王成金. 轴—辐侍服理念下的中国航空网络模式构筑. 地理研究, 2005, 24(5):775-784.]
[24] Hartigan J A, Wong M A. Algorithm AS 136: A K-Means Clustering Algorithm. Applied Statistics, 1979, 28(1):100-108.
[25] Pang-Ning T, Michael S, Vipin K. Introduction to Data Mining. Boston: Addison-Wesley, 2005.
[26] Borgatti S P, Everett M G. A graph-theoretic perspective on centrality. Social Networks, 2006, 28: 466-484.
[27] Pannell C W. China's continuing urban transition. Environment and Planning A, 2002, 34(9): 1571-1589.
[28] Shaw S L, Ivy R L. Airline mergers and their effect on network structure. Journal of Transport Geography,1994, 2(4):234-246.
[29] Dai Teqi, Jin Fengjun, Wang Jiao'e. Spatial interaction and network structure evolvement of cities in terms of China'srailway passenger flow in 1990s. Progress in Geography, 2005, 24(2): 80-89. [戴特奇, 金凤君, 王姣娥. 空间相互作用与城市关联网络演进: 以我国20 世纪90 年代城际铁路客流为例. 地理科学进展, 2005, 24(2): 80-89.]
[30] Peng Yubing. A probing study on developing the hub-and-spoke air networks in China. Journal of Civil AviationUniversity of China, 2000, 18(5): 1-8. [彭语冰. 关于在中国发展中枢辐射航线的探讨. 中国民航学院学报, 2000, 18(5): 1-8.]
