Exploring the Influence Mechanism of Attractiveness on Wuhan’s Urban Commercial Centers by Modifying the Classic Retail Model

Abstract

The attractiveness of commercial centers is one of the core issues in urban and rural planning research. To deepen the theoretical understanding of attractiveness and optimize modeling, we empirically analyzed the factors and mechanisms influencing the attractiveness of Wuhan’s commercial centers by improving the classic retail model and testing the age differentiation of mechanisms. The results indicate the following: (1) there is an obvious attractiveness gap in the commercial centers examined, and six have not met their planning expectations; (2) intensive and abundant shopping services, domestic services, sports and leisure services, and medical care services all promote attractiveness, but their impact on customers of different ages varies greatly. For young consumers, shopping services have the greatest effect on attractiveness, whereas for middle-aged and elderly consumers, sports and leisure services have the greatest effect; (3) the accumulation of length of development increases the likelihood of young people’s patronage, but the effect is weak; (4) traffic resistance shows a stable inhibitory effect, and middle-aged and elderly people are more sensitive to travel time than youth; (5) improving the retail model is effective, and the model is more powerful in explaining young consumers. This research also puts forward policy recommendations for the commercial centers’ industry configuration, new and old combinations, and traffic accessibility, and then proposes planning countermeasures for Wuhan’s city- and-county-level commercial center layout, local commercial land morphology organization, and the construction optimization of commercial centers that have not met expectations.