| Since the implementation of reform and opening up,urbanization in Henan Province has significantly accelerated,becoming a prominent aspect of overall economic and social development.In particular,the promulgation of the "New-type Urbanization of Henan Province" and "Zhongyuan Urban Agglomeration Development Plan" has emphasized positioning urban functions,"driving the city with the city," and formulating development strategies tailored to different levels and sizes of cities.As an important component of the Zhongyuan urban agglomeration,this study focuses on 17 prefecturelevel cities in Henan Province(excluding Jiyuan City)from 2006 to 2019,analyzing the relationship between the division of urban functions,distribution of urban scale,and allometric growth using employment population data,urban population statistics,and GDP.The changing characteristics of urban functions are described using the location quotient and Nelson statistical analysis method,while the distribution of urban scale is analyzed through the urban pyramid,urban primacy index,and rank-size rule.Finally,the relative growth/decline relationship between urban functions and urban scale is explored using an allometric growth model.The study concludes that:(1)The trend in urban functions throughout Henan Province is shifting towards service industries,and the spatial distribution of urban functions has a tendency to move closer to the center or disperse around.While the information and financial industries have grown rapidly since 2006,traditional secondary industries such as manufacturing,construction,and real estate are still significant contributors to the economy.Local political and economic conditions and natural resources play a role in determining each city’s unique function.Traditional resource-based cities such as Pingdingshan,Hebi,Puyang,and Jiaozuo tend to specialize in basic industries.Cities with specialized characteristics of industry,public management and social service industry,information industry,and construction industry are moving closer to the center.Cities specializing in transportation,trade and catering,science and technology service,finance,and real estate are increasingly scattered around the periphery.Although some urban functions are characterized by specialization,their functional strength is not strong,such as the processing industry in Kaifeng and Anyang.As the capital of Henan Province,Zhengzhou holds a dominant position,both exerting a radiation effect on surrounding areas and drawing superior resources into the local area through a siphon effect.(2)The urban system of Henan Province exhibits an imperfect hierarchical structure,with the first city(Zhengzhou)lacking a prominent role.In 2006,the quantitative hierarchical structure of the city resembled a pyramid,with a wide base and narrow top.This gradually evolved into a structure with a wide top and a similar width at the base and body by 2013.In 2014 and 2019,the structure exhibited an olive-shaped distribution,with larger cities in the middle and smaller ones at both ends.From 2006 to 2019,the scale hierarchical structure remained flawed,lacking the leadership of megacities and megalopolises,as well as the fundamental role of small cities.The urban primacy index,four-city index,and eleven-city index all trended upwards,indicating that Zhengzhou’s leading role was weak but gradually increasing its distance from other cities.Analysis of the double logarithmic scatter plot of urban population rank-size indicated faster growth rates for large and small cities,with little change occurring within the middle-ranked cities during the studied period.Overall,the urban scale distribution in Henan Province is relatively concentrated,lacking a prominent first city,having a large number of cities in the middle order,and exhibiting relatively uniform population distribution.The distribution tends towards rank-scale type rather than first-scale type.(3)The allometric growth coefficients of urban function and urban scale exhibit significant differences across different time sections.Within the same period,the allometric relationship between the same city function and different scales also varies,as does the allometric relationship between different city functions and the same scale.Generally,larger cities tend to concentrate industries such as information,real estate,and transportation,followed by science and technology services.However,the allometric growth relationship between basic industries and urban scale becomes increasingly negative over time,indicating a weakened relationship between urban scale expansion and basic industries.This suggests that each city’s development increasingly relies on non-basic industries,particularly high-end service industries like information and finance in larger cities,and real estate in smaller cities.Based on the theory of central place and the evolution of regional industrial structure,this study provides useful insights for the rational planning and layout of public facilities,as well as other economic and social functions in Henan Province,which holds significant reference value. |
