Internet Plus, Industrial Transformation, and China’s Evolving Urban System

ABSTRACTWith the emergence of new and advanced information and telecommunication technologies, Chinese cities are encountering significant changes in their development dynamics. This study examines the spatial pattern of emerging industries under the influence of new technologies within the context of China’s “Internet Plus” initiative. It constructs a theoretical framework from an evolutionary economic geography (EEG) perspective and highlights the interdependence between the Internet Plus economy and urban systems. The analysis finds that the development of Internet Plus in cities intensifies the spatial agglomeration of new economic resources, and results in industrial transformation led by only a few large cities and spatial polarization within the urban system. However, advances in Internet technologies also provide a window of opportunity for smaller cities, and local industrial bases and relevant specializations play a crucial role in this process.KEYWORDS: Internet Pluspath-dependencewindow of opportunityindustrial transformationurban system AcknowledgmentsThe research was supported by National Social Science Foundation of China (19AZD007) and Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 According to the National New Urbanization Plan (2014–20), China has 17 megacities whose population is more than 5 million. But to be listed as a national central city, a city should not only have a large population, but also be the engine of regional development. The plan identified the first batch of national central cities in 2010: Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Guangzhou. In 2016 and 2018, Chengdu, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, and Xi’an were added to the list.Additional informationNotes on contributorsMingfeng WangMingfeng Wang is a professor of human geography at East China Normal University.Tingting LiuTingting Liu is a PhD student at Utrecht University. Her research focuses on digital innovation and regional development.Wei ZhouWei Zhou is a planner at Wuhan Planning and Design Institute. Her research focuses on Internet technology and urban development.