Evaluating Station–City Integration Performance in High-Speed Rail Station Areas: An NPI Model and Case Study in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Effective station–city integration is crucial for sustainable development around high-speed rail stations. However, research assessing public preferences regarding the aspects of this integration remains limited. We constructed a performance evaluation model for station–city integration in high-speed rail station areas. By considering the high-speed rail station area in the Yangtze River Delta region as a research object, which is located in the metropolitan cities centered on Shanghai, China, we dissected the five dimensions of population, industry, land use, function, and environment into 15 indicators that flow into the three value objectives of attraction–retention–integration (NPI). Subsequently, we systematically analyzed the performance differentiation characteristics of station–city integration in the Yangtze River Delta region’s high-speed rail station areas by employing a multiple regression model to delve into the influence mechanisms affecting the performance differentiation patterns of station–city integration. Our findings indicate the following. (1) Regarding station–city integration performance grade differentiation, a few high-speed rail station areas in the Yangtze River Delta region exhibit a high-efficiency integration level, whereas more areas fall within the higher and general integration levels. (2) Spatially, the station–city integration performance in high-speed rail station areas within the Yangtze River Delta region exhibits a distinct distribution characterized by “high-grade point-block dependence and low-grade concentrated contiguous patches.” (3) The spatial distribution of the five dimensions of station–city integration performance exhibits significant disparities. (4) Regarding the development types of station–city integration performance advantages, efficient integration of stations and cities represents a multidimensional advantageous development type and higher integration falls into the same category. (5) Station–city integration performance results from the comprehensive effects of four factors: government policy inducement, station energy level attraction, station–city relationship adhesion, and urban energy level promotion. This study advances a systematic framework—encompassing performance measurement, mechanistic inquiry, and strategy formulation—for examining station–city integration in HSR station areas. By integrating the perspective of cyclical cumulative development into the node–place model from urban planning and geographical viewpoints, we articulate a new performance model that clarifies critical influencing factors and mechanisms, thus broadening the theoretical scope of HSR station area research. We believe that the NPI evaluation model can provide valuable insights for guiding the integrated development of high-speed rail station areas and enhancing the quality of urban development.