C-NEM approach-based measurement and characterization of development level of integrated transportation hub cities

ObjectiveA comprehensive and objective evaluation on development level of integrated transportation hub cities is essential for establishing clear development goals, advancing the construction of integrated transportation systems, and optimizing resource allocation.MethodA measurement approach based on combination approach of normalization, entropy, mapping, and mean (C-NEM) was proposed to evaluate the development levels of integrated transportation hub cities. A development level indicator system for hub cities, containing of 6 dimensions and 20 indicators, was constructed to measure and characterize the development level of 89 existing national-level integrated transportation hub cities in China.ResultThe hub cities are divided into three distinct tiers according to evaluation results. The first tier includes nine leading cities, e.g., Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. The second tier consists mainly of provincial capitals and cities with independent planning status. The third tier includes some provincial capitals and secondary central cities across various provinces, most of which demonstrate notable strengths in specific development areas. Furthermore, the hub cities are classified into three stages of development, i.e., mature, developing, and emerging. The analysis revealed that China's integrated transportation hub cities generally exhibit high hub capacity and strong infrastructure support. However, their agglomeration and radiation levels indicated significant regional disparities, with only a limited number of cities demonstrating high intermodal connectivity and transfer efficiency. While the overall transportation service quality was relatively satisfactory, the efficiency of resource allocation needed substantial improvement across the board.ConclusionThe proposed approach effectively improved the accuracy and validity of development level evaluation, as well as revealed the characterization and differences in the development of China's integrated transportation hub cities. These findings would provide crucial theoretical support for planning, construction, and policy formulation of the national integrated transportation hub system.