Spatial effect of digital economy on the coordinated development of Port cities

Under the background of thriving digital economy and the digitization of port industry, using data derived from port cities in Guangdong, this study intends to investigate the spatial effect of digital economy on the port city coordination. This paper firstly measures the port city coupling coordination degrees and the digital economy comprehensive development levels, then estimates the spatial spill over effect of digital economy on the port city coordination by constructing the dynamic Spatial Durbin Model (SDM). To further clarify local patterns of the spatial effect, this paper subsequently analyses the spatial effects within and between three sub regions in Guangdong. The results show that first, the port city coordination has a habit persistence; second, the digital economy development may be mainly due to the local policy; third, the digital economy has a positive spatial spillover effect on the port city coordination, and the effect will increase over time; forth, the spatial effects in the Pearl River Delta and in the western and eastern areas present different patterns. The quantitative research enriches the port city theory under the new circumstances of digital economy, and brings new insights into regional integration and sustainable development.