Impact of Urban Rail Transit on Business Districts Based on Time Distance: Urumqi Light Rail

Abstract

Based on metacartography, this study establishes a model to convert the time distance of taking light rail to the spatial distance in meters. On this basis, this study uses the spatial transformation method of geographic information system (GIS) map projection to redefine the distance between two locations with the converted distance and transforms the original map into a time distance map. By spatializing the time distance, this study gives time distance a visual expression. The results show that the influence of light rail on urban form is affected by the distance between the station points and the selected center point; that is, that the transformation is greater when the station points are farther away from the center point, and vice versa. The impact of light rail on the layout of business centers is basically distributed in the shape of a circle. Time distance compresses the traditional urban form. There is still much room for the city to further compress the time distance, and the existing business centers should be upgraded.