FROM REGIONAL NODE TO GLOBAL GATEWAY: PATHWAYS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE EAST-ORIENTED LINKAGE DEVELOPMENT OF HEFEI METROPOLITAN CIRCLE UNDER THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHANGHAI METROPOLITAN CIRCLE
Keywords:
Shanghai Metropolitan Circle, Hefei Metropolitan Circle, East-Oriented linkage, Harmonized-plate theory, Urban regional integration, Factor flow, Cultural coprosperityAbstract
Against the background of Shanghai Metropolitan Circle expanding toward the 1+13 spatial scope, Hefei Metropolitan Circle, as a newly approved national-level metropolitan circle, faces critical opportunities and challenges in realizing east-oriented linkage with the Yangtze River Delta core area. From the perspective of “harmonized-plate theory”, this paper identifies short-term and long-term bottlenecks restricting cross-border factor flow between Hefei and Shanghai metropolitan circles, and constructs an analytical framework covering theoretical mechanism, spatial pattern, industrialtechnological collaboration, institutional openingup and regional cultural coprosperity. Supported by CityGO intelligent simulation tool and multi-source big data monitoring for 41 cities in Yangtze River Delta, this research adopts interdisciplinary integration, case comparison and field investigation to diagnose existing barriers including administrative boundary segmentation, insufficient market-oriented allocation of cross-regional factors and inadequate soft connection of regional culture. The study puts forward the progressive logic of “heterogeneousplate complementarity—homogeneousplate alliance—heterogeneousplate coalition”, optimizes the “bowstring coordination” spatial layout along Hefei-Nanjing-Shanghai development axis, designs implementation pathways for the “Shanghai R&D + Hefei transformation” innovation pattern, and proposes institutional innovation schemes covering factor benefitsharing, policy mutualrecognition and cultural exchange. Findings can provide decisionmaking reference for Hefei Metropolitan Circle to transform from a regional functional node into an important global gateway of Yangtze River Delta, and offer practical experience for the highquality integration of largescale urbanregions in China.References
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