Title: Spatiotemporal evolution and mechanisms of port local hinterland: a case study of Yangtze River Delta, China

Authors: Dan He; Qian Ba; Yizhi Kang

Addresses: Centre for Modern Chinese City Studies, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; School of Urban and Regional Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; Research Centre for China Administrative Division, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China ' Centre for Modern Chinese City Studies, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; School of Urban and Regional Science, East China Normal University, Room 566, Resource and Environment Building, 500 Dongchuan Rd., Shanghai 200241, China ' Centre for Modern Chinese City Studies, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; School of Urban and Regional Science, East China Normal University, Room 566, Resource and Environment Building, 500 Dongchuan Rd., Shanghai 200241, China

Abstract: With containerisation and multimodal transport development, port regionalisation links seaport systems to inland ports closely. This study applies the field model to identify the local hinterland of the main ports in the Yangtze River Delta in 2001, 2008, and 2016. The research findings indicate that the expanding local hinterlands of Ningbo Port come from the declining local hinterlands of Shanghai Port. However, Shanghai Port maintains the top port mass in the Yangtze River Delta. Through the lens of the regionalisation strategy, we find that Shanghai Port makes full use of the market-orientated tools and the central government's support to remain the stable source of containers and capture more distant hinterland along the Yangtze River. Ningbo Port is more inclined to integrate port resources in Zhejiang jurisdiction through the administrative power of the government, ultimately leading to the formation of a port hinterland covering the whole Zhejiang jurisdiction.

Keywords: field model; local hinterland; market-orientated strategy; administration-based strategy; Yangtze River Delta; YRD; port regionalisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTL.2023.134755

International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 2023 Vol.17 No.3, pp.335 - 361

Received: 27 Nov 2021
Accepted: 03 Jan 2023
Published online: 09 Nov 2023 *

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