Impact of Spatio-Temporal evolution of freeway networks on Socio-Economic Dynamics: A case study from Fujian, China

Freeway infrastructures play a pivotal role in driving socio-economic development. However, without a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between freeway network evolution and socio-economic dynamics, it would be difficult to further shape the economic landscape through adjustments in the freeway network layout. To address this challenge, the present study proposes an analytical framework that integrates network, spatial, and temporal elements to quantify the economic stimulatory effects of freeway network evolution. Multiscale geographically and temporally weighted regression (MGTWR) is employed to scrutinize these intricate relationships. This analytical framework is applied to an empirical case study based on the freeway geographic data, point of interest (POI) data, and socio-economic statistics spanning from 2018 to 2021 in Fujian, China. The spatio-temporal impacts of freeway evolution on socio-economic indicators, county-level POI clustering, and roadside POI clustering are investigated. Results demonstrate that considering network elements helps enhance the effectiveness of the analytical framework, and each network element exhibits distinct yet stable effects on socio-economic dynamics. Spatial heterogeneity is identified in the impact of freeway density on socio-economic growths, industrial relocations, and changes in roadside land use patterns. This study provides crucial insights for transportation infrastructure planning and assessment.