Transport Network Evolution: Research On Process And Mechanism

Transport network is a physical network that has collaborative, complementary and coordinative transport routes, all kinds of node, it also has a certain combination of structure and hierarchy for directly or jointly transportation by taking transport routes as connect lines and taking various of nodes as connect points. Transport network is a material carrier for people to overcome barriers of spatial distance and to develop economic activities, the development of transport network plays a decisive role for economic development. How to make planning and construction of transport network scientificly and rationaly has become a basic requirement and precondition to promote socio-economic development healthly and orderly.The problem about how to meet and coordinate Long-term supply of transport network and social transportation demand means how to lay and construct transport network properly in the long-term process of socio-economic development. Therefore, the key solution lies in theoretically answering the following fundamental question, namely, "Why and how does transport network evolute?"The evolution of transport network is a kind of spatial economic activities, and is endogenous of the whole society's specialization. The paper has carried on theoretical analysis on the content and intrinsic mechanism of transport network's evolution by using transportation economic theory related and specialization theory, and on this basis, it has conducted the empirical study on the evolution of US and China's transport network and their evolution mechanism. Overall, the major contents and conclusions of the paper basiclly include the following several parts.First, through a review of related research, the paper found that transport network and social transportation demand respectively exists as exogenous condition in the above research, and thus separates the intrinsic link between the two. Therefore, in considering the space factor to relax these assumptions in the study will help to further explain the intrinsic mechanism between transport network supply and social transportation demand, and makes it more in line with objective reality.Second, through the analysis of the transport network-related properties, the paper has constructed a general evolution process of transport network and maken a more systematic analysis and summary on its important characteristics, influencing factors, and spatial patterns, thus basically reflects the dynamic process and change tendency of transport network's evolution.Third, the paper has carried on the analysis and define to the connotation of transport network's evolution, and thought that the evolution of transport netwoek refers to the accumulative developing process of transport network by constantly internalizing economies of scale. On this basis, the paper has established a explanatory framework on the intrinsic mechanism between transport network supply and social transportation demand, namely that is interaction mechanisms of transport network supply (transport cost), urban system, inter-industry division of labor and economies of scale.For the evolution of transport network, it is a mutual demand process between economic development and transport network's supply in the Division of labor and specialization process.By reducing transport cost and improving people's ability to overcome spatial barriers, evolution of transport network promots the improvement of urban spatial network system and the expansion of market scope, and thus improves the level of inter-industrial division of labor, leading to increasing return to scale (economies of scale), and thereby facilitates transport network continue to evolve. Obviously, the evolution of transport network is a cumulative process of positive feedback loop.In addition, the paper also includes the intrinsic mechanisms of changes in transportation pattern through the above-mentioned explanatory framework.Fourth, the paper takes the US as an example, by analysising and summaring the evolution process and characteristics of US transport network in the different historical period, and has proven the cumulative characteristic of causation among it's industrialization, urbanization, and transportation in the space-time over the past modern times. Namely the evolution mechanism of US transport network is obviously based on the interaction among the supply of transport network, urban system, specialation and economies of scale.Fifth, the paper uses the evolution of China's transport network and the historical change of its economic spatial structure as the object of study, and has a more detailed analysis and summary on the evolution of China's transport network,and the relationship between transport network and urban development or urban spatial network system, as well as the relationship between transformation of dominant transport mode and change of transport pattern from ancient, modern and contemporary three time periods respectively.As a result, the paper has not only fully confirmed the explanatory framework proposed, but also further enriched the understanding on characteristics and trends of China's transport network evolution and evolution process of transport location.Sixth, for the future development trends of China's transport network and the main problems it currently facing, the paper put forward several corresponding policy recommendations.