IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v149y2021ics0301421520307230.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Polycentric spatial structure and energy efficiency: Evidence from China's provincial panel data

Author

Listed:
  • Xu, Chen
  • Bin, Qiu
  • Shaoqin, Sun

Abstract

Against the background of the increasing number of large and medium-sized cities and the improvement of the intercity transportation infrastructure, a polycentric urban network is gradually emerging in China. Based on panel data of 23 provinces of China over the period of 1998–2018, the dynamic impact of the polycentric spatial structure on the energy efficiency and the mechanism of this impact are explored in this paper. First, the results reveal that there exists an inverted U-shaped relationship between the polycentric spatial structure and the energy efficiency. Nevertheless, the polycentric spatial structure has not yet reached the optimal level in all provinces. Second, the market integration and factor flow are important paths for the polycentric spatial structure to affect the energy efficiency. Third, the inverted U-shaped impact of the polycentric spatial structure on the energy efficiency is mainly reflected in the eastern and central regions, while the phenomenon is not significant in the western region. Finally, the distances between cities and the level of the transportation infrastructure have significant non-linear moderating effects in the process of the polycentric spatial structure affecting the energy efficiency. These findings provide empirical evidence for the coordinated development of China's regional space planning and energy efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Xu, Chen & Bin, Qiu & Shaoqin, Sun, 2021. "Polycentric spatial structure and energy efficiency: Evidence from China's provincial panel data," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:149:y:2021:i:c:s0301421520307230
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.112012
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421520307230
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.112012?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shanzi Ke & Yufeng Yu, 2014. "The pathways from industrial agglomeration to TFP growth – the experience of Chinese cities for 2001–2010," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(2), pages 310-332, April.
    2. Xie, Rui & Wei, Dihan & Han, Feng & Lu, Yue & Fang, Jiayu & Liu, Yu & Wang, Junfeng, 2019. "The effect of traffic density on smog pollution: Evidence from Chinese cities," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 421-427.
    3. Puyang Sun & Yan Yuan, 2015. "Industrial Agglomeration and Environmental Degradation: Empirical Evidence in Chinese Cities," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(4), pages 544-568, October.
    4. Desmet, Klaus & Henderson, J. Vernon, 2015. "The Geography of Development Within Countries," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: Gilles Duranton & J. V. Henderson & William C. Strange (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 1457-1517, Elsevier.
    5. Per Andersen & Niels Christian Petersen, 1993. "A Procedure for Ranking Efficient Units in Data Envelopment Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(10), pages 1261-1264, October.
    6. Martijn J. Burger & Evert J. Meijers & Marloes M. Hoogerbrugge & Jaume Masip Tresserra, 2015. "Borrowed Size, Agglomeration Shadows and Cultural Amenities in North-West Europe," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(6), pages 1090-1109, June.
    7. Evert J Meijers & Martijn J Burger, 2010. "Spatial Structure and Productivity in US Metropolitan Areas," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(6), pages 1383-1402, June.
    8. Frank van Oort & Martijn Burger & Otto Raspe, 2010. "On the Economic Foundation of the Urban Network Paradigm: Spatial Integration, Functional Integration and Economic Complementarities within the Dutch Randstad," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 47(4), pages 725-748, April.
    9. Krugman, Paul, 1996. "Confronting the Mystery of Urban Hierarchy," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 399-418, December.
    10. Glaeser, Edward L. & Kahn, Matthew E., 2004. "Sprawl and urban growth," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: J. V. Henderson & J. F. Thisse (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 56, pages 2481-2527, Elsevier.
    11. Clark, Hunter & Pinkovskiy, Maxim & Sala-i-Martin, Xavier, 2020. "China's GDP growth may be understated," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    12. Masahisa Fujita & Jacques‐François Thisse, 2003. "Does Geographical Agglomeration Foster Economic Growth? And Who Gains and Loses from It?," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 54(2), pages 121-145, June.
    13. Krugman, Paul, 1991. "Increasing Returns and Economic Geography," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(3), pages 483-499, June.
    14. Zeng, Dao-Zhi & Zhao, Laixun, 2009. "Pollution havens and industrial agglomeration," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 141-153, September.
    15. Xu, Bin & Lin, Boqiang, 2015. "How industrialization and urbanization process impacts on CO2 emissions in China: Evidence from nonparametric additive regression models," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 188-202.
    16. Grossman, G.M & Krueger, A.B., 1991. "Environmental Impacts of a North American Free Trade Agreement," Papers 158, Princeton, Woodrow Wilson School - Public and International Affairs.
    17. Duranton, Gilles & Puga, Diego, 2004. "Micro-foundations of urban agglomeration economies," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: J. V. Henderson & J. F. Thisse (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 48, pages 2063-2117, Elsevier.
    18. Miller, Stephen M. & Upadhyay, Mukti P., 2000. "The effects of openness, trade orientation, and human capital on total factor productivity," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 399-423, December.
    19. Tone, Kaoru, 2002. "A slacks-based measure of super-efficiency in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 32-41, November.
    20. Venables, Anthony J., 2017. "Breaking into tradables: Urban form and urban function in a developing city," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 88-97.
    21. Ruhul Salim & Shuddhasattwa Rafiq & Sahar Shafiei & Yao Yao, 2019. "Does urbanization increase pollutant emission and energy intensity? evidence from some Asian developing economies," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(36), pages 4008-4024, August.
    22. J. Vernon Henderson & Adam Storeygard & David N. Weil, 2012. "Measuring Economic Growth from Outer Space," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(2), pages 994-1028, April.
    23. Börje Johansson & John M. Quigley, 2004. "Agglomeration and networks in spatial economies," Advances in Spatial Science, in: Raymond J. G. M. Florax & David A. Plane (ed.), Fifty Years of Regional Science, pages 165-176, Springer.
    24. N. A. Phelps & R. J. Fallon & C. L. Williams, 2001. "Small Firms, Borrowed Size and the Urban-Rural Shift," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(7), pages 613-624.
    25. Brülhart, Marius & Mathys, Nicole A., 2008. "Sectoral agglomeration economies in a panel of European regions," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 348-362, July.
    26. Glaeser, Edward L., 1999. "Learning in Cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 254-277, September.
    27. Parsley, David C. & Wei, Shang-Jin, 2001. "Explaining the border effect: the role of exchange rate variability, shipping costs, and geography," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 87-105, October.
    28. Melo, Patricia C. & Graham, Daniel J. & Noland, Robert B., 2009. "A meta-analysis of estimates of urban agglomeration economies," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 332-342, May.
    29. Bosker, Maarten & Buringh, Eltjo, 2017. "City seeds: Geography and the origins of the European city system," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 139-157.
    30. Arnott, Richard, 2007. "Congestion tolling with agglomeration externalities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 187-203, September.
    31. Marcy Burchfield & Henry G. Overman & Diego Puga & Matthew A. Turner, 2006. "Causes of Sprawl: A Portrait from Space," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 121(2), pages 587-633.
    32. Li, Jianglong & Lin, Boqiang, 2017. "Does energy and CO2 emissions performance of China benefit from regional integration?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 366-378.
    33. Tone, Kaoru & Sahoo, Biresh K., 2004. "Degree of scale economies and congestion: A unified DEA approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(3), pages 755-772, November.
    34. Hao, Yu & Peng, Hui, 2017. "On the convergence in China's provincial per capita energy consumption: New evidence from a spatial econometric analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 31-43.
    35. Zhang, Ning & Yu, Keren & Chen, Zhongfei, 2017. "How does urbanization affect carbon dioxide emissions? A cross-country panel data analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 678-687.
    36. Gilles Duranton, 2015. "Delineating Metropolitan Areas: Measuring Spatial Labour Market Networks Through Commuting Patterns," Advances in Japanese Business and Economics, in: Tsutomu Watanabe & Iichiro Uesugi & Arito Ono (ed.), The Economics of Interfirm Networks, edition 127, chapter 6, pages 107-133, Springer.
    37. Henderson, Vernon, 2003. "The Urbanization Process and Economic Growth: The So-What Question," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 47-71, March.
    38. Zhao, Hongli & Lin, Boqiang, 2019. "Will agglomeration improve the energy efficiency in China’s textile industry: Evidence and policy implications," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C), pages 326-337.
    39. Rizov, Marian & Oskam, Arie & Walsh, Paul, 2012. "Is there a limit to agglomeration? Evidence from productivity of Dutch firms," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 595-606.
    40. Evert Meijers & Martijn Burger & Evert J. Meijers & Martijn J. Burger & Marloes M. Hoogerbrugge, 2016. "Borrowing size in networks of cities: City size, network connectivity and metropolitan functions in Europe," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(1), pages 181-198, March.
    41. Allen J. Scott & Michael Storper, 2015. "The Nature of Cities: The Scope and Limits of Urban Theory," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(1), pages 1-15, January.
    42. John B Parr, 2002. "Agglomeration Economies: Ambiguities and Confusions," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 34(4), pages 717-731, April.
    43. Han, Feng & Xie, Rui & Fang, Jiayu, 2018. "Urban agglomeration economies and industrial energy efficiency," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 45-59.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, Bin & Xin, Qingyao & Chen, Siyuan & Yang, Zhiying & Wang, Zhaohua, 2024. "Urban spatial structure and commuting-related carbon emissions in China: Do monocentric cities emit more?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    2. Chunji Zheng & Feng Deng & Chengyou Li, 2022. "Energy-Saving Effect of Regional Development Strategy in Western China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-22, May.
    3. Kaiwen Liu & Hongbing Deng & Ting Wu & Yang Yi & Yao Zhang & Yunlong Ren, 2023. "Technological Innovation, Urban Spatial Structure, and Haze Pollution: Empirical Evidence from the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River Urban Agglomeration," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-25, September.
    4. Feng, Yidai & Yuan, Huaxi & Liu, Yaobin, 2023. "The energy-saving effect in the new transformation of urbanization," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 41-59.
    5. Ding, Jian & Liu, Baoliu & Shao, Xuefeng, 2022. "Spatial effects of industrial synergistic agglomeration and regional green development efficiency: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chen, Xu & Chen, Xueli & Song, Malin, 2021. "Polycentric agglomeration, market integration and green economic efficiency," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 185-197.
    2. Chen, Xu & Xu, Huilin & Zhang, Liang & Cao, Huiping, 2022. "Spatial functional division, infrastructure and carbon emissions: Evidence from China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    3. Xiaohu Li & Xigang Zhu & Jianshu Li & Chao Gu, 2021. "Influence of Different Industrial Agglomeration Modes on Eco-Efficiency in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-23, December.
    4. Wenfang Fu & Chuanjian Luo & Modan Yan, 2023. "Does Urban Agglomeration Promote the Development of Cities? Evidence from the Urban Network Externalities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-20, June.
    5. Jinliang Jiang & Zhensheng Xu & Jiayi Lu & Dongqi Sun, 2022. "Does Network Externality of Urban Agglomeration Benefit Urban Economic Growth—A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-19, April.
    6. Evert Meijers & Martijn Burger & Martijn J. Burger & Evert J. Meijers, 2016. "Agglomerations and the rise of urban network externalities," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(1), pages 5-15, March.
    7. Evert Meijers & Martijn Burger & Evert J. Meijers & Martijn J. Burger & Marloes M. Hoogerbrugge, 2016. "Borrowing size in networks of cities: City size, network connectivity and metropolitan functions in Europe," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(1), pages 181-198, March.
    8. Evert Meijers & Martijn Burger & Edward L. Glaeser & Giacomo A. M. Ponzetto & Yimei Zou, 2016. "Urban networks: Connecting markets, people, and ideas," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(1), pages 17-59, March.
    9. Xiaoxia Gong & Fanglei Zhong, 2021. "The Impact of Borrowing Size on the Economic Development of Small and Medium-Sized Cities in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-18, January.
    10. Duranton, Gilles & Puga, Diego, 2014. "The Growth of Cities," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 5, pages 781-853, Elsevier.
    11. Evert Meijers & Martijn Burger & Roberto Camagni & Roberta Capello & Andrea Caragliu, 2016. "Static vs. dynamic agglomeration economies. Spatial context and structural evolution behind urban growth," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(1), pages 133-158, March.
    12. Cutrini, Eleonora & Mendez, Carlos, 2023. "Convergence clubs and spatial structural change in the European Union," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 167-181.
    13. Yang, Xiaolan & Wang, Rui & Guo, Dongmei & Sun, Weizeng, 2020. "The reconfiguration effect of China's high-speed railway on intercity connection ——A study based on media attention index," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 47-56.
    14. Bluhm, Richard & Krause, Melanie, 2022. "Top lights: Bright cities and their contribution to economic development," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    15. Loris Servillo & Rob Atkinson & Abdelillah Hamdouch & Luděk Sýkora & Ondřej Mulíček, 2017. "Territorial Arrangements of Small and Medium-Sized Towns from a Functional-Spatial Perspective," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(4), pages 438-455, September.
    16. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Frick, Susanne, 2017. "Big or small cities? On city size and economic growth," CEPR Discussion Papers 12324, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    17. Dong Feng & Jian Li & Xintao Li & Zaisheng Zhang, 2019. "The Effects of Urban Sprawl and Industrial Agglomeration on Environmental Efficiency: Evidence from the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Urban Agglomeration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-12, May.
    18. Jie Shen & Chunlai Chen & Mengyu Yang & Keyun Zhang, 2019. "City Size, Population Concentration and Productivity: Evidence from China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 27(1), pages 110-131, January.
    19. Stephen J. Redding & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, 2017. "Quantitative Spatial Economics," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 9(1), pages 21-58, September.
    20. J. Vernon Henderson & Sebastian Kriticos, 2018. "The Development of the African System of Cities," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 10(1), pages 287-314, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:149:y:2021:i:c:s0301421520307230. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.