Evaluation and Influencing Factors of Network Resilience in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area: A Structural Perspective

Abstract

Currently, urban crises are spreading, even tending to be magnified along the urban networks. Improving urban network resilience can effectively reduce the loss and cope with sudden disasters. Based on the dimensions of regional resilience and the framework of urban network, a new evaluation system of network resilience, including economic, social, and engineering networks, was established to assess the network resilience of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) from a structural perspective. We analyzed the spatial characteristics and influencing factors of network resilience using social network analysis and quadratic assignment procedure. The results were as follows: (1) regional difference was biggest in GBA’s economic network strength while smallest in its transportation network strength, and the east bank of the Pearl River represented an extremely resilient connection axis; (2) the structures of network resilience and its subsystems were heterogeneous, and the connection paths of network resilience were more heterogeneous and diversified than those of the subsystems; (3) network resilience presented an obvious core–edge structure, and the spatial correlation and spillover effect between blocks were substantial; and (4) geographical proximity, as well as differences in economic development, urban agglomeration, and market development, had a significant impact on network resilience. This study provides a more systematic approach to evaluate the regional network resilience, and the results provide references for the construction of bay areas in developing countries.