Standard Radiation: A New Perspective Leading the Coordinated Development of Urban Agglomerations

Abstract

With the increased communication among cities, coordinated development between regions has become a common trend. An urban agglomeration is a special spatial structure unit, which becomes an important driving force for the coordinated development of the region through the radiation effect generated by the central city. The existing studies on regional integration have focused more on the economic, financial, and technological innovation radiation effects. However, as an essential tool for economic development, technological progress, and social governance, the standard plays an irreplaceable role in promoting regional integration and enhancing the coordinated development of urban agglomerations due to its ability to consensus and cooperation sharing. Therefore, based on the theories of growth pole, radiation effect, and city field, this paper first puts forward the concept of the standard radiation effect and argues that the standardization level of the central city can lead and drive the development of the urban agglomerations through the method of theoretical elaboration. Secondly, we explain the mechanism of the standard radiation effect in promoting the coordinated development of urban agglomerations under the interaction of multi-dimensional proximity. Finally, taking the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in China as typical cases, this research explores and summarizes three different models of the standard radiation effect, which are dominated by institutional proximity, economical proximity, and geographical proximity, respectively. The results of the study show that the standard radiation has a regional leading role. Furthermore, the effect of the central city in different urban agglomerations is dominated by different proximity, and there are different models and paths. Thus, in the process of regional industrial collaboration, it is necessary to focus on the standard cooperation among cities, and according to the characteristics of different urban agglomerations, make the most effective use of advantageous proximity to promote the development of regional integration. The conclusion can enrich the relevant studies on the agglomeration and radiation effects, give theoretical explanations on how the standard radiation effect of the central city leads to regional development, and provide new thinking perspectives and practical references on the way to achieve coordinated development of urban agglomerations.