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Geomatics World >

2025 , Vol. 32 >Issue 03: 330 - 340

DOI: https://doi.org/10.20117/j.jsti.202503003

Spatio-temporal Cognition

Structural characteristics and evolution of population flow networks in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle

  • CAO Weiwei ,
  • CHEN Xiaohan ,
  • CHU Mengtao ,
  • JING Chongyi
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  • 1. College of Economic and Management, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan 618307, China;
    2. Chengdu Institute of Computer Application at Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610213, China;
    3. Guanghan Flight College, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan 618307, China;
    4. Faculty of Science, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan 618307, China

Received date: 2025-02-07

  Revised date: 2025-04-25

  Online published: 2025-12-03

Supported by

Social Science Fund Project of Sichuan Province (SCJJ23ND440); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (24CAFUC04035)

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Abstract

[Objective] Population movement reflects the complex interplay between human activities and geographical dynamics, facilitating the spatial diffusion and concentration of resources, capital, and technology. To deepen the understanding of its characteristics, patterns, and development trends, this study analyzes the structural features and evolutionary dynamics of population flow networks.
[Method] This research utilizes Amap migration big data to examine the spatiotemporal patterns and structural evolution of the population flow network within the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle over the past five years. By integrating complex network analysis and GIS methods, the study provides a comprehensive investigation.
[Result] The results show that population inflows and outflows in most cities within the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle have generally increased over the past five years, though fluctuations with periodic patterns persist. Chengdu, Chongqing, and Leshan exhibit a net daily population inflow pattern, contrasting with the other thirteen cities. A clear weekly rhythm characterizes population flows: in Chengdu and Chongqing, inflow peaks occur on Sundays and outflow peaks on Saturdays, while in the remaining fourteen cities, inflow peaks fall on Saturdays and outflow peaks on Sundays. Rather than forming a typical “Chengdu-Chongqing” dual-center structure, the population flow evolves into a single-hub network centered on Chengdu. The flow network demonstrates distinct spatial proximity and hierarchy, with larger flows primarily occurring between Chengdu-Chongqing and their satellite cities. Over five years, inter-tier-one-city flows (Chengdu-Chongqing) exhibit an increasingly polarized trend, accounting for 48%, 45%, 49%, 51%, and 56% of the total annually. Smaller flows dominate interactions among non-core cities. Three cohesive subgroups emerge: a western cluster around Chengdu, an eastern cluster around Chongqing, and a southern Sichuan cluster, collectively representing around 70% of intercity mobility. Additionally, population flow networks derived from Amap data versus railway data reveal significant spatial discrepancies, with Amap-based networks highlighting stronger hub-and-spoke dynamics in core cities.
[Conclusion] Through analyzing five-year Amap migration datasets, this study systematically elucidated the spatiotemporal dynamics, distribution, network structure, and evolutionary trends of population flows in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. The findings enhance regional population flow theory, offering insights for regional planning and governance. Additionally, the comparison of Amap and railway data challenges single-source research paradigms, providing a methodological reference for future studies.

Key words： population mobility; migration big data; railway data; spatiotemporal evolution; Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle

Cite this article

CAO Weiwei , CHEN Xiaohan , CHU Mengtao , JING Chongyi . Structural characteristics and evolution of population flow networks in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle[J]. Geomatics World, 2025 , 32(03) : 330 -340 . DOI: 10.20117/j.jsti.202503003

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