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Producer service linkages and city connectivity in the mega-city region of China: A case study of the Pearl River Delta

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  • Anthony GO Yeh

    (Centre of Urban Studies and Urban Planning, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)

  • Fiona F Yang

    (Department of Urban Planning and Design, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)

  • Jiejing Wang

    (Department of Urban Planning and Design, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)

Abstract

This paper examines the intra- and inter-firm producer service linkages and city connectivity of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), one of the fastest growing and globalising mega-city regions in China. The study reveals that the rapid growth of producer services in the recent two decades has emerged as a crucial contributor to the formation of the regional network that was previously shaped mainly by manufacturing activities. To provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of mega-city regions, a nexus between the literature on globalisation and mega-city regions and the studies on the service economy must be developed to consider not only intra-firm office connections, but also the linkages of producer services between different firms and economic sectors. Through a questionnaire survey covering 1020 producer service firms in three major PRD cities, we provide evidence that in a manner different from manufacturing activities, producer services linkages, both intra-firm and inter-firm, bind the cities into a hierarchical and localised regional system.

Suggested Citation

  • Anthony GO Yeh & Fiona F Yang & Jiejing Wang, 2015. "Producer service linkages and city connectivity in the mega-city region of China: A case study of the Pearl River Delta," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(13), pages 2458-2482, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:52:y:2015:i:13:p:2458-2482
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098014544762
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Bo Liu & Desheng Xue & Yiming Tan, 2019. "Deciphering the Manufacturing Production Space in Global City-Regions of Developing Countries—a Case of Pearl River Delta, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-26, December.
    2. Florian W. Bartholomae & Chang Woon Nam & Alina Schoenberg, 2017. "Urban Resurgence as a Consumer City: A Case Study for Weimar in Eastern Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 6610, CESifo.
    3. Dan He & Zhijing Sun & Peng Gao, 2019. "Development of Economic Integration in the Central Yangtze River Megaregion from the Perspective of Urban Network Evolution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-18, September.
    4. Yizhou Wu & Peilei Fan & Heyuan You, 2018. "Spatial Evolution of Producer Service Sectors and Its Influencing Factors in Cities: A Case Study of Hangzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-23, March.

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