Quantifying Virtual Urban Commercial Linkages Using Spatial Phone Call Data—A Comparative Study Between Guangzhou and Shenzhen

The importance of cities hinges on how they connect with other cities globally, yet research has been lacking in the exploration of virtual linkages. This study takes Guangzhou and Shenzhen as samples to measure their virtual urban linkage with other cities in China. First, it improves the gravity m...

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Main Authors: Haosen Jiang, Hui Sun, Zheng Cao, Zhifeng Wu, Qifei Zhang, Zihao Zheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Urban Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/5/176
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author Haosen Jiang
Hui Sun
Zheng Cao
Zhifeng Wu
Qifei Zhang
Zihao Zheng
author_facet Haosen Jiang
Hui Sun
Zheng Cao
Zhifeng Wu
Qifei Zhang
Zihao Zheng
author_sort Haosen Jiang
collection DOAJ
description The importance of cities hinges on how they connect with other cities globally, yet research has been lacking in the exploration of virtual linkages. This study takes Guangzhou and Shenzhen as samples to measure their virtual urban linkage with other cities in China. First, it improves the gravity model by considering the impact of distance on call intentions in the context of phone conversations. Second, it uses call detail record (CDR) data to measure urban linkage based on the enhanced gravity model. Lastly, it employs a more effective geodetector to analyze the driving factors. The results indicate the following: cities in the southeast exhibit significantly higher connectivity; Guangzhou’s linkage is more pronounced than Shenzhen’s; and the volume of import and export trade is a stronger indicator of urban linkage. The urban linkage measured through CDRs offers new insights into the study of urban linkage.
format Article
id doaj-art-7089a9d2ae744d7bb23dd2ea41dada82
institution OA Journals
issn 2413-8851
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Urban Science
spelling doaj-art-7089a9d2ae744d7bb23dd2ea41dada822025-08-20T02:34:02ZengMDPI AGUrban Science2413-88512025-05-019517610.3390/urbansci9050176Quantifying Virtual Urban Commercial Linkages Using Spatial Phone Call Data—A Comparative Study Between Guangzhou and ShenzhenHaosen Jiang0Hui Sun1Zheng Cao2Zhifeng Wu3Qifei Zhang4Zihao Zheng5School of Geographical Sciences and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaFaculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650050, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaThe importance of cities hinges on how they connect with other cities globally, yet research has been lacking in the exploration of virtual linkages. This study takes Guangzhou and Shenzhen as samples to measure their virtual urban linkage with other cities in China. First, it improves the gravity model by considering the impact of distance on call intentions in the context of phone conversations. Second, it uses call detail record (CDR) data to measure urban linkage based on the enhanced gravity model. Lastly, it employs a more effective geodetector to analyze the driving factors. The results indicate the following: cities in the southeast exhibit significantly higher connectivity; Guangzhou’s linkage is more pronounced than Shenzhen’s; and the volume of import and export trade is a stronger indicator of urban linkage. The urban linkage measured through CDRs offers new insights into the study of urban linkage.https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/5/176call detail recordsurban linkagevirtual linkagesgeodetectordriving factors
spellingShingle Haosen Jiang
Hui Sun
Zheng Cao
Zhifeng Wu
Qifei Zhang
Zihao Zheng
Quantifying Virtual Urban Commercial Linkages Using Spatial Phone Call Data—A Comparative Study Between Guangzhou and Shenzhen
Urban Science
call detail records
urban linkage
virtual linkages
geodetector
driving factors
title Quantifying Virtual Urban Commercial Linkages Using Spatial Phone Call Data—A Comparative Study Between Guangzhou and Shenzhen
title_full Quantifying Virtual Urban Commercial Linkages Using Spatial Phone Call Data—A Comparative Study Between Guangzhou and Shenzhen
title_fullStr Quantifying Virtual Urban Commercial Linkages Using Spatial Phone Call Data—A Comparative Study Between Guangzhou and Shenzhen
title_full_unstemmed Quantifying Virtual Urban Commercial Linkages Using Spatial Phone Call Data—A Comparative Study Between Guangzhou and Shenzhen
title_short Quantifying Virtual Urban Commercial Linkages Using Spatial Phone Call Data—A Comparative Study Between Guangzhou and Shenzhen
title_sort quantifying virtual urban commercial linkages using spatial phone call data a comparative study between guangzhou and shenzhen
topic call detail records
urban linkage
virtual linkages
geodetector
driving factors
url https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/5/176
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