Coupling Relationship of Freight Transportation Activities and Transport Infrastructure: Case Study of Yunnan, China

Abstract

Transportation infrastructure has a positive impact on freight transportation activities when it has excellent economic and social performances. At the current stage of economic development in China, sustainable development of the region is facing the imbalance of transport supply and transport demand. With the growing flow of freight transportation, it is essential to explore the relationship between freight transportation activity and transport infrastructure, which helps to guarantee that the development of transport infrastructure matches freight transportation demand growth. In contrast to the existing literature, this study describes freight transportation activities as a network. The degree, and freight degree of the freight transportation network (FTN) and development level of the transport infrastructure were first analyzed considering intercity freight flow. Then, the coupling relationship between them was tested using a coupling coordination degree model (CCDM) focusing on the hysteresis status, and the link strength model was established to further reveal the causal mechanisms behind the coupling relationship. The results revealed that the interaction between freight transportation activities and transport infrastructure development was significant, and there was a relatively coordinated relationship between freight transportation activities and transport infrastructure overall. The contribution of freight transportation activities to transport infrastructure development was less than the contribution of transport infrastructure development to freight transportation activities in most cities of Yunnan, which ultimately causes the advanced development in transport infrastructure and freight transportation activities to become the key factor to promote the coordinated development of Yunnan's transport. In addition, we found that a good coupling coordination degree existed in cities with increased freight transportation activities and high transport infrastructure development, as well as in cities with less active freight transportation activities and a low level of transport infrastructure development. From the perspective of coordinated development, the results indicated that without planning a large number of transport facilities devoted to an increase in transport infrastructure construction might not necessarily be good for its development