南北城市功能差异与南北经济差距

North-South Urban Functional Difference and North-South Economic Disparity in China

文章从中心城市增长极作用差异的视角,探讨了我国南北方经济差距扩大的成因和作用机制。理论研究发现,在中国城市发展过程中,南方中心城市的创新能力及其对周围地区的辐射带动能力较强,北方中心城市的创新能力和辐射带动能力则相对较弱,这种南北中心城市极化作用差异是导致南北经济差距扩大的重要原因。而南北中心城市极化作用的差异很大程度上受到城市形成机制的影响,南方地区更多地依靠市场机制主导形成城市,中心城市与周围地区构成了一个经济有机体;北方地区的城市则更多依靠行政机制向周围吸取资源,形成了一个资源向中心城市单向流动的资源堆。这种不同的城市形成机制塑造了南北中心城市的功能差异,最终导致南北经济差距不断扩大。基于2008—2018年城市面板数据的经验研究表明,南北中心城市存在显著的极化作用差异,而这种极化作用差异对南北经济差距具有显著影响,中心城市的辐射带动能力和创新能力越强的地区经济增长率越高。进一步研究发现,城市形成机制是影响南北中心城市功能差异和南北经济差距的重要机制,越是依靠市场机制形成和扩大中心城市的地区,其中心城市的辐射带动能力和创新能力越强,从而越有利于促进地区整体的经济增长。

From the perspective of the difference of growth pole of central cities, this paper discusses the causes and mechanism of the widening of the North-South economic disparity in China. The theoretical analysis shows that in the process of urbanization in China, the innovation ability and radiation driving ability of central cities in the south are relatively stronger, while those in the north are relatively weaker. This polarization difference is an important reason for the widening of the North-South economic disparity. While the difference of polarization between north and south central cities is largely affected by the formation mechanism of cities. The South relies more on the market mechanism to form cities, and the central city and the surrounding areas constitute an economic organism, while the cities in the North rely more on the administrative mechanism to absorb and accumulate resources from the surrounding areas, forming a one-way flow of resources to the central city. This different urban formation mechanism shapes a functional difference between the north and south central cities, and eventually leads to the widening of the North-South economic disparity. Based on Chinese City-level Panel Data from 2008 to 2018, the empirical test shows that there is a significant polarization difference between the north and south central cities, and this polarization difference has a significant impact on the North-South economic disparity. The stronger the innovation ability and radiation driving ability of the central cities, the higher the regional economic growth rate. Further study found that the city formation mechanism is an important mechanism to affect the functional differences between the north and south central cities and the North-South economic disparity.