The pulse of urban
How cross-city metro network drives twin cities’ innovation performance in China?
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22421499 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Xiaoying Li (0000-0002-7417-2556, Sun Yat-sen University), Zhihuan Lin (Sun Yat-sen University, corresponding author), Jianhua Hou (0000-0003-2138-6275, Sun Yat-sen University), Yuping Zhang (0000-0003-1055-2071, Sun Yat-sen University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-27 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-14 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Urban Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1226-5934 • E-ISSN: 2161-6779 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/12265934.2026.2689676 |
| OpenAlex | W7168401275 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 38 |
Existing studies have examined the innovation effects of transportation infrastructure such as high-speed rail, metro systems, and highways. However, limited attention has been paid to whether and how transport linkages between neighbouring cities shape innovation outcomes. This paper exploits the opening of the Guangzhou–Foshan cross-city metro system in 2010 as a quasi-natural experiment and employs grid-level data from 2006 to 2018. The results show that patent applications increases significantly in grids with metro stations in a 1-km radius. These findings are robust to instrumental variable estimation, zero-inflated negative binomial models, and some other robust check. Further analysis indicates that the innovation effects are driven by enhanced cross-city flows of capital, talent, and knowledge. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the effects are more pronounced in Foshan, central urban areas, and industries with slower technology iteration. Overall, this study provides new evidence on the role of cross-city transportation integration in fostering regional innovation and offers relevant policy implications.
Exploit · Instrumental variable · Metropolitan area · Public transport · Rail network · Aviation Industry Analysis and Trends · Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth · Regional Economics and Spatial Analysis
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| Highly cited | No |
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