Evolution of urban network patterns in the Yellow River Basin based on human mobility over 1,300 years

Abstract

Human mobility has triggered changes in intercity relationships, reflecting transformations in the spatial structure of a region over time. The Yellow River Basin, a longstanding core region of China, has witnessed continuous development of cities influenced by natural and social environments. However, previous studies have not fully explored long-term changes in the relationships between cities in the area. This study focuses on cities within the historical boundaries of the Yellow River Basin. We extracted the spatiotemporal mobility information for these groups, utilising the trajectories of historical figures from the China Biographical Database. Using the gravity model and social network analysis, we constructed urban networks for seven historical periods spanning nearly 1300 years. Results indicate that the overall urban network in the Yellow River Basin exhibited a development pattern of “dual-centre–single-centre–multi-centre.” Overall, the layout of major cities in the Yellow River Basin transitioned from an “east-west orientation” to a “north-south orientation,” with the centre of the cities shifting from the southwest to the northeast. This study provides a new perspective on urban historical information mining and preservation of historical urban contexts in the basin.