Case Study of Stratification, Spatial Agglomeration, and Unequal Logistics Industry Development on Western Cities in China

Abstract

There are large heterogeneities in the logistics development of urban agglomerations in western China due to the low compactness and spatial stability of urban agglomerations. Using the statistical yearbook and logistics industry data of 135 cities in western China from 2003 to 2018, we analyzed the spatial distribution characteristics of logistics enterprises using kernel density and cold–hot spot analysis. Simultaneously, economic development level, industrial structure of circulation, and the logistics industry are identified as influencing factors of logistics industry evolution. The comparative and integration analysis of spatial autocorrelation models and geographically weighted regressing models are implemented on the influencing factors of logistics enterprises’ spatial-temporal evolution. Our study revealed that the number and density of logistics enterprises in western China have continually increased in the past 20 years, factors such as per capita gross domestic product, population quantity, population density, the proportion of the tertiary industry, and density of logistics enterprises are all key factors supporting the evolution of the logistics industry in western China. The logistics industry in the western provinces has had outstanding development in the past 20 years; however, there are still obvious regional inequalities due to factors such as infrastructure and policy.