Comparative analysis of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau Bay Area based on gravity model

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration and the Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao Greater Bay Area are China's three major urban agglomerations, including China's political, economic, financial and technological centers, which are important engines of the Chinese economy. The purpose of this study is to compare these three urban agglomerations from the economy, government management and spatial structure, to determine regional potentialities and future development direction. The major methodology of the study is gravity model. Since there are no clear official regulations for the scope of the three major urban agglomerations, we define the scope and core areas at first, making them at a comparable level. First of all, the economy of the three major urban agglomerations in the wide-area range are similar, while the core area of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration is the weakest in per capita GDP. In the perspective of government management, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration is policy-oriented and pays more attention to regional balanced development. The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration mainly focus on economic development. Under the policy of reform and opening up, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao Greater Bay Area is seeking more regional cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao. In terms of spatial structure, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration presents a dual-core structure between Beijing and Tianjin. The other urban nodes in Hebei Province are not obvious, and the regional connections are weak, leading to unbalanced development. The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration presents the characteristics of a networked structure, and the cities in the entire region are closely connected and have a tendency to be integrated both in economy and transportation. The Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau Greater Bay Area has formed a strong core composed of cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macao and Dongguan, which are closely linked with each other, but weakly connected with external region.