Publications

Published in Journal of Transport Geography

Abstract:

The paper examines the spatial changes of the warehousing industry in Chinese megacities in response to new demand from customers, ever-changing urban structure, as well as local public policies. Analysis on land use survey data in Wuhan in 1993, 2004 and 2014 shows a clear pattern of warehousing decentralization during the last two decades, and such decentralization was more significant in the second period, Year 2004-2014. Meanwhile, warehouses are found more concentrated in 2014. Multivariate model results further indicate that transport access, industrial connection, land availability, and land use policies all significantly affect where warehousing land uses are located and how warehousing industry is spatially organized. Compared to previous studies, the role of local public policies is outstanding in the context of Chinese cities, where land is owned and allocated by the government. A case study on two districts in Wuhan, the Caidian and Huangpi Districts also justifies these findings. Our research provides an up-to-date reference for researchers to investigate the patterns of logistics sprawl and the causes of warehousing spatial restructuring. The research can help policy makers in Chinese megacities create strategies to cope with potential consequences from logistic sprawl.