Study on the Coupling Development of Urban Agglomerations and Industry Clusters in the Perspective of Spatial Flow-Take 4 Provinces in Western China as an Example

The northwestern urban agglomeration is an important channel linking China with Central Asia, West Asia, and Europe. The coordinated development of northwest urban agglomerations and industrial clusters plays a decisive role in the construction of the Belt and Road. The study selected 4 key provinces in the western China: 37 prefecture-level cities in Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, and Qinghai. Starting with the spatial relationship between the urban agglomerations of the northwest and the Silk Road Economic Belt, based on the location of Tencent Big data, we analyzed the degree of connection and the degree of centrality of urban groups in the northwest in the perspective of “spatial flow”. Based on the entropy method, this paper analyzed the clustering situation of industrial clusters within the urban agglomeration based on the second industry demographic data and established a coupling degree model of urban centrality and industrial clustering degree to analyze the coordination development situation between urban agglomerations and industrial clusters. The results suggest that the coordinated situation of urban clusters and industrial clusters in the northwest of China is in poor condition. To achieve coordinated development, it is necessary to continuously develop transport networks, enhance inter-city linkages, promote industrial division of labor, and give full play to the Silk Road strategy.