Urban Networks in the Yangtze River Delta from the Perspective of Transaction Linkages in Manufacturing Industries: Characteristics, Determinants, and Strategies for Intercity Integration Development

In recent years, manufacturing development has received renewed attention from developing and developed countries alike. As mega-city regions (MCRs) are where industries converge, the research on urban networks of MCRs under dominance transaction linkages is currently insufficient. Based buyer–supplier listed firms, this paper investigated characteristics network in Yangtze River Delta region (YRDR) China using social analysis method; explored determinants nodal centrality city dyads by stepwise regression quadratic assignment procedures, respectively; proposes a “characteristics-determinants-strategies” technical framework for optimization interurban collaboration transactions within MCRs. The findings were as follows: (1) differed those advanced producer services (APS) intra-firm organization hierarchies, innovation cooperation networks; (2) geographical “core-periphery” structure power circulation corridor was formed YRDR; (3) parks, collaboration, high-speed rail (HSR) linkage, proximity between cities found to facilitate formation networks, similarity industry structures driving distance inhibits network; (4) number industrial GDP per capita, government spending science technology contributed while population had negative impact. provides complementary perspective production factors product policy planning insights synergistic