The impact of high-speed railways on urban spatial evolution: A case study of China's coastal areas

Abstract

High-speed railways (HSR) are integral to modern transport systems and significantly influence urban spatial structures and land use. This study examines 54 newly constructed HSR stations in China's coastal areas by analyzing surrounding spatial expansion and urban evolution using Landsat TM remote sensing images and standardized urban built-up area datasets from 2005 to 2020. We also investigate the varying impacts of HSR stations based on location. First, marginal HSR stations comprise the largest proportion of new stations; a negative correlation exists between the distance index of HSR stations and city scale. Second, the HSR station's effect on the surrounding construction land is concentrated around 4 km, with the most significant contribution during the construction stage, yielding a spatial expansion rate of 180.41%, compared to 27.13% and 30.89% in the planning and operational stages, respectively. Marginal HSR stations contribute most significantly to spatial expansion within station areas, while suburban HSR stations exhibit a lagging effect. Third, new HSR stations facilitate an urban built-up area's spatial expansion, subsequently shifting the spatial center-of-gravity toward the station. This occurs particularly for marginal and suburban HSR stations, with less impact for central stations. This study enriches existing research and offers valuable insights into the relationship between HSR station construction and urban spatial development.