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Simple spatial scaling rules behind complex cities

Author

Listed:
  • Ruiqi Li

    (School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University
    Boston University)

  • Lei Dong

    (School of Architecture, Tsinghua University)

  • Jiang Zhang

    (School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University)

  • Xinran Wang

    (College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University)

  • Wen-Xu Wang

    (School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University)

  • Zengru Di

    (School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University)

  • H. Eugene Stanley

    (Boston University)

Abstract

Although most of wealth and innovation have been the result of human interaction and cooperation, we are not yet able to quantitatively predict the spatial distributions of three main elements of cities: population, roads, and socioeconomic interactions. By a simple model mainly based on spatial attraction and matching growth mechanisms, we reveal that the spatial scaling rules of these three elements are in a consistent framework, which allows us to use any single observation to infer the others. All numerical and theoretical results are consistent with empirical data from ten representative cities. In addition, our model can also provide a general explanation of the origins of the universal super- and sub-linear aggregate scaling laws and accurately predict kilometre-level socioeconomic activity. Our work opens a new avenue for uncovering the evolution of cities in terms of the interplay among urban elements, and it has a broad range of applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruiqi Li & Lei Dong & Jiang Zhang & Xinran Wang & Wen-Xu Wang & Zengru Di & H. Eugene Stanley, 2017. "Simple spatial scaling rules behind complex cities," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-01882-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01882-w
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    Cited by:

    1. Inho Hong & Woo-Sung Jung & Hang-Hyun Jo, 2019. "Gravity model explained by the radiation model on a population landscape," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(6), pages 1-13, June.
    2. Yang, Yitao & Jia, Bin & Yan, Xiao-Yong & Zhi, Danyue & Song, Dongdong & Chen, Yan & de Bok, Michiel & Tavasszy, Lóránt A. & Gao, Ziyou, 2023. "Uncovering and modeling the hierarchical organization of urban heavy truck flows," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    3. Massing, Till & Puente-Ajovín, Miguel & Ramos, Arturo, 2020. "On the parametric description of log-growth rates of cities’ sizes of four European countries and the USA," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 551(C).
    4. Wang, Ning-Ning & Jin, Zhen & Wang, Ya-Jing & Di, Zeng-Ru, 2020. "Epidemics spreading in periodic double layer networks with dwell time," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 540(C).
    5. He, Yifan & Zhao, Chen & Zeng, An, 2022. "Ranking locations in a city via the collective home-work relations in human mobility data," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 608(P1).
    6. Zhu, Xuzhen & Wang, Ruijie & Wang, Zexun & Chen, Xiaolong & Wang, Wei & Cai, Shimin, 2019. "Double-edged sword effect of edge overlap on asymmetrically interacting spreading dynamics," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 515(C), pages 617-624.
    7. Sing Chen Yeo & Clin K Y Lai & Jacinda Tan & Joshua J Gooley, 2021. "A targeted e-learning approach for keeping universities open during the COVID-19 pandemic while reducing student physical interactions," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(4), pages 1-17, April.
    8. Wang, Chen & Chu, Zhongzhu & Gu, Wei, 2021. "Assessing the role of public attention in China's wastewater treatment: A spatial perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    9. He, Zhengbing, 2020. "Spatial-temporal fractal of urban agglomeration travel demand," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 549(C).
    10. Shiro Horiuchi, 2021. "Bridging of different sites by bohemians and tourists: analysis by agent-based simulation," Journal of Computational Social Science, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 567-584, November.
    11. Fábio Duarte & Ricardo Álvarez, 2019. "The data politics of the urban age," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, December.
    12. Ruiqi Li & Lingyun Lu & Weiwei Gu & Shaodong Ma & Gang Xu & H. Eugene Stanley, 2020. "Assessing the attraction of cities on venture capital from a scaling law perspective," Papers 2011.06287, arXiv.org.
    13. Xiaojian Yu & Zhiqing Zhao, 2021. "Fractal Characteristic Evolution of Coastal Settlement Land Use: A Case of Xiamen, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    14. Peña, Guillermo & Puente-Ajovín, Miguel & Ramos, Arturo & Sanz-Gracia, Fernando, 2022. "Log-growth rates of CO2: An empirical analysis," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 588(C).
    15. Zhao, Na & Li, Jie & Wang, Jian & Li, Tong & Yu, Yong & Zhou, Tao, 2020. "Identifying significant edges via neighborhood information," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 548(C).
    16. Xia, Nan & Cheng, Liang & Chen, Song & Wei, XiaoYan & Zong, WenWen & Li, ManChun, 2018. "Accessibility based on Gravity-Radiation model and Google Maps API: A case study in Australia," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 178-190.
    17. Amin Khiali-Miab & Maarten J van Strien & Kay W Axhausen & Adrienne Grêt-Regamey, 2019. "Combining urban scaling and polycentricity to explain socio-economic status of urban regions," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(6), pages 1-23, June.
    18. Li, Ruiqi & Richmond, Peter & Roehner, Bertrand M., 2018. "Effect of population density on epidemics," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 510(C), pages 713-724.
    19. Niu, Baozhuang & Chen, Yuyang & Zeng, Fanzhuo, 2023. "One step further for procurement cooperation: Will the industry leader benefit from its competitive manufacturer's joint determination of consumption quality?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 311(3), pages 989-1008.
    20. Bishawjit Mallick & Chup Priovashini & Jochen Schanze, 2023. "“I can migrate, but why should I?”—voluntary non-migration despite creeping environmental risks," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    21. Xu, Gang & Xu, Zhibang & Gu, Yanyan & Lei, Weiqian & Pan, Yupiao & Liu, Jie & Jiao, Limin, 2020. "Scaling laws in intra-urban systems and over time at the district level in Shanghai, China," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 560(C).
    22. Yang, Yan-Hong & Shao, Ying-Hui & Shao, Hao-Lin & Stanley, H. Eugene, 2019. "Revisiting the weak-form efficiency of the EUR/CHF exchange rate market: Evidence from episodes of different Swiss franc regimes," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 523(C), pages 734-746.
    23. Daniel Zünd & Luís M A Bettencourt, 2019. "Growth and development in prefecture-level cities in China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(9), pages 1-15, September.

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