How Does the Spatial Structure of High-Speed Rail Station Areas Evolve? A Case Study of Zhengzhou East Railway Station, China

The rapid development of high-speed rail (HSR) and station areas has shortened the spatial and temporal distances among cities, improved the accessibility of cities, and affected the spatial agglomeration and diffusion of populations and of social and economic activities. This has led to spatial reconfiguration of production factors within cities, which has the potential to drive the reconstruction of urban spatial structures. Based on POI and land-use data, this paper defines the spatial scope of the HSR station area and explores the characteristics and influencing factors of its spatial structure from the perspective of industry. The study area i is set at 2000 m. Since the opening of the HSR, the industrial distribution has exhibited a significant circular, multi-core, and axial belt spatial structure. The spatial structure of each sub-industry is different. On the whole, internal and external transport and agglomeration economies have significant impacts on the industrial spatial distribution, and land rent has gradually decreased in importance with the development of HSR station areas. The intensity of the effects of different factors varies among different industries. The mechanisms by which the spatial structure of the station area is formed are discussed and include location accessibility, micro-market factors, node station attributes, the availability of a sufficient amount of undeveloped land, the characteristics and needs of HSR passengers, and policies and systems.