以我国西北地区333个县市为评价单元,2013年为时间断面,从交通设施网络密度、交通干线影响度2个分项指标和交通优势度集成指标2个角度,分析西北地区交通优势度的空间格局及分异规律,同时探讨其交通优势度与自然、人口、经济等社会要素的空间关系。研究发现:①西北地区交通优势度呈“偏正态”分布特征,3.30%的县具有突出的交通优势,18.62%的县交通条件处于非常明显的劣势;②交通优势度具有“东部高、中西部低”的空间分异特点,关中—天水经济区、银川平原地区、兰西经济区三大城镇密集区以及各省会城市周边地区具有明显的交通优势;③各县市交通优势度和人口、经济发展水平的不同空间组合关系可分为极化型、滞后型、超前型和落后型4种,以极化型和落后型为主。极化型主要分布在中心城市及周边地区,落后型集中于准噶尔盆地、南疆、青海等地区,滞后型在银川平原、陕北地区、陕南地区、兰西经济区、河西走廊、天山北坡经济带等地区分散分布,交通不发达而区域社会经济优先发展的区域较少。

Two individual indexes, including transport network density and transport infrastructure impact of the 333 counties level administrative units in Northwest China was chosen in this study to analyze the spatial configuration and differentiation characteristics of the transport superiority degree in Northwest China in 2013, and to discuss the spatial relationships between transport superiority degree and natural condition, population and economy. This study reveals that, firstly, the distribution characteristic of transport superiority degree obeys the “partial normal distribution”. Few regions, which merely account for 3.30% of the total number of counties, have prominent transport superiority degree and the traffic environment in these regions is superior for social and economic development. By contrast, 18.62% of all the regions have inferior transport superiority degree and the traffic environment there is poor and impedes local social and economic development. Secondly, it is characterized by a regional differentiation of “high in the east and low in the middle and west”. Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic zone, Yinchuan Plain area, Lanzhou-Xining Economic zone, the three city-and-town concentrated areas and five provincial capitals have significant transport advantages. Thirdly, there is significant linear correlation between transport superiority and population, economic development in counties, and there are four combined types: polarization type, retarded type, advanced type and behind type. The regions of the polarization type concentrate in central cities and their surrounding areas while the behind type concentrate in Junggar Basin, Southern Kumusi and Qinghai Province. The regions of the retarded type have a decentralized distribution in Yinchuan Plain, Northern Shaanxi, Southern Shaanxi, Lanzhou-Xining Economic zone, Hexi Corridor, and the Economic Belt on the Northern Slope of Tianshan Mountains. Besides, there are few counties with inferior transport superiority but have the priority to the development of social economy.