Study On The Spatial Relation Of Suzhou, Wuxi & Changzhou Metropolitan Area

Metropolitanization, a tendency in the present world development, is not only the inevitable result brought about by the world social and economical development, but the requirement of industrialization, information and modernization. More and more scholars home and abroad think that the development of metropolitan areas is a necessary choice in the course of China's metropolitanization and also an important measure to deal with world economical unification and join in the world economical division and competition. In China, much progress has recently been made in the study and application of metropolitan areas, the definition of metropolitan areas, standard of classification and mechanism of formation have been put forward and the extensive planning of metropolitan areas has been carried out.It is generally believed that metropolitan area is formed through economical radiation and attraction of the central cities to form division and cooperation of labor, mobilization of population, product, capital, technique and information between central cities and neighboring areas. This will lead to the different social and economical areas where the central city becomes the center and form the unification of production and circulation networks characteristic of multiple centers (or single center), cohesion and networking. The shaping of metropolitan area mainly depends on policy and circulation and also needs the cooperation of government, market and social force.The project of Suzhou, Wuxi & Changzhou Metropolitan Areas (SWCMA), put forward in the city development strategy of the 15th congress of Jiangsu Province, is to link up with Shanghai and take an active part in national and international economical connection and cooperation.Scholars have already paid attention to the areas because of their location, natural resources, history, culture, etc. They have made different researches ranging from Suzhou, Wuxi & Changzhou economical areas and group of cities to the metropolitan areas.Historically speaking, Suzhou, Wuxi & Changzhou areas have gradually developed the city system and marketing structure centered around Suzhou in the long regional and economical development. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the system developed to the most and, as a central city, Suzhou gave a full play. It was regional and even national economical center. With the wide growth and development of towns, there has roughly appeared the town belts along the Canal and the Yangtse River, which has thus lay the foundation for town spatial pattern of the modern southern region of Jiangsu. After the Opium War, the seaport city system and branch diagram market structure with Shanghai as the center have replaced the central city pattern and market system with Suzhou as the centre. The merchant mechanism of Suzhou together with other towns has been reduced and some cities or towns have been on the decline. Thereafter, as "an outer factor", Shanghai has exerted great influence on the development and spatial pattern of Suzhou, Wuxi & Changzhou areas. The setup of some new industrial cities as Wuxi comes from the expansion of Shanghai's industries, technology, capital and information, which has shaped the industrial belt of Suzhou, Wuxi & Changzhou. On the other hand, Wuxi instead of Suzhou has been the center of economy, communications and trade. The big regional market and economical ties have been cut off. After the foundation of New China, the practice of planning economy has strengthened the regional breakup and total separation between town and countryside. There has appeared dual economical structure. The city developed in its own way, regional economical ties became weaker and weaker.Since the practice of reformation and open policy in China, great changes have taken place in the spatial relation in the Suzhou, Wuxi & Changzhou areas, which greatly relies on reforms of institutions and the support in industry, technology, information and talents from Shanghai. In the areas the town industry presents a rapid growth, the relation between ur...