IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v172y2025ics0967070x25002896.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The evolution and influencing factors of digital freight structure in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration: A complex network analysis perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Hongchang
  • Kong, Lingtong
  • Zhao, Xiaojun

Abstract

Digital freight platforms have emerged as key enablers of efficiency in modern road transportation, particularly in integrating logistics resources and optimizing freight flows. This study examines the structural evolution and driving forces of the digital freight network in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) urban agglomeration, drawing on complex network theory. By applying centrality indicators and the standard deviation ellipse method, we identify a shift from a centralized to a multi-centered collaborative network between 2020 and 2023, accompanied by improvements in network efficiency and spatial resilience. The empirical analysis highlights transportation infrastructure and digital economy development as the main contributors to network optimization. Infrastructure investments enhance intercity connectivity, while digitalization fosters more synchronized flows of goods and information. Based on these findings, we propose policy recommendations to advance regional multimodal integration, improve logistics corridor planning, and strengthen digital platform governance, contributing to the high-quality development of regional freight systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Hongchang & Kong, Lingtong & Zhao, Xiaojun, 2025. "The evolution and influencing factors of digital freight structure in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration: A complex network analysis perspective," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:172:y:2025:i:c:s0967070x25002896
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.07.036
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X25002896
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.07.036?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

    for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:trapol:v:172:y:2025:i:c:s0967070x25002896. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    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.