THE EVOLUTION OF URBAN SPATIAL STRUCTURE IN THE OPEN AREA OF SOUTHEASTERN COASTAL CHINA

Urban development, or regional urbanization, in essence is the process of concentrating regional production and promoting economic moderniza tion. The coastal region in China now has an advanced economy and a hi gh degree of urban concentration. Several metropolitan areas have form ed here. As a result of the open policy of the last 10 years, five Spe cial Economic Zones (SEZs) were established and 14 coastal port cities opened, which gave the coastal area a new urban development pattern. This paper primarily studies the location factors of urban development , the evolving pattern of cities, and the characteristics of urban spa tial distribution. Based on data and empirical investigation, it also examines the rationality of patterns of urban spatial distribution and urban development trends over time. Finally, it provides a theoretica l basis not only for regional urban development and city planning stud ies, but also for the study of urban geography.