Spatial Pattern and Coupling Analysis of County Traffic Superiority and New Urbanization Levels: A Case Study of 88 Counties in Guizhou Province

Abstract

The overall level of transportation infrastructure and the level of new urbanization are two coupled systems that complement each other. The balanced development of a region benefits from the efficient synergy of these two systems. Using methods such as the Gini coefficient and Lorenz curve, spatial autocorrelation and hotspot analysis, and models for evaluating traffic superiority and new urbanization levels, we analyzed the balance and spatial distribution characteristics of these two developments and their coupling coordination levels in 88 counties of Guizhou Province in 2020. The results indicate that the levels of traffic superiority and new urbanization are not high. Traffic superiority shows a "multi-core" ring differentiation, radiating outward from the advanced road nodes located in Guiyang, Zunyi, and Southeast Guizhou. The new urbanization level presents a "dual-core" spatial differentiation with the urban area of Guiyang as the main core, and the main urban area of Zunyi and Renhuai as the secondary cores. The overall balance of traffic superiority is better than that of new urbanization levels, but the balance of traffic superiority in type II areas is relatively low. The coupling coordination degree between traffic superiority and new urbanization levels in Guizhou Province is generally low. About 80.68% of the counties are in the periods of extreme incoordination and basic coordination, while the counties in the high coordination period are mainly concentrated in the economically better-off municipal (prefectural) seats and surrounding counties. In-depth exploration of the coupling coordination relationship between regional traffic superiority and new urbanization levels provides important insights for leveraging transportation support to promote rapid and balanced regional new urbanization development.