How Does the Digital Economy Influence the Spatial Distribution of Urban Scale: Flattening or Centralization
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How Does the Digital Economy Influence the Spatial Distribution of Urban Scale: Flattening or Centralization
MAO Fengfu1, GAO Yuchen2, HOU Yuqiao1
1. School of Economics, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China; 2. School of Logistics and E-commerce, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
Abstract Based on the high-precision night lighting and dynamic population grid data of China from 2003 to 2021, the paper explores the evolution of urban scale and spatial distribution driven by the digital economy by identifying the real city scope and measuring the scale and spatial distribution of regional cities. The study shows that the development of the digital economy has significantly driven the flattening of the spatial distribution of urban scale. Theoretical analysis based on cost changes demonstrates that the support of low transportation cost effects and the acceleration of low information cost effects are two important reasons. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that in advanced stages of digital economy development, regions with higher digital responsiveness, less economic development pressure and greater housing price pressure are more likely to experience this equalizing effect. Further findings reveal that, unlike the flattening trend at the provincial level, digitalization promotes centralized urban scale development within urban agglomerations. This centralization is primarily observed in early-stage integrated developments or less developed regions. The study provides empirical evidence from China to grasp the evolution of urban system structure driven by the digital economy, and has policy implications for achieving balanced regional economic development in agglomeration in the digital age.
MAO Fengfu,GAO Yuchen,HOU Yuqiao. How Does the Digital Economy Influence the Spatial Distribution of Urban Scale: Flattening or Centralization. Economic Survey, 2025, 42(4): 045.
2025, Vol. 42 
