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Analyzing Industrial Structure Evolution of Old Industrial Cities Using Evolutionary Resilience Theory: A Case Study in Shenyang of China

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Abstract

The recession and revitalization of old industrial cities concerns urban industrial evolution and its characteristics. Based on the theory of evolutionary resilience, we developed an analytical framework for the industrial structure evolution of old industrial cities, and applied the framework to a case study in Shenyang. The following conclusions are drawn. First, since 1978, Shenyang’s industrial growth capacity has shown fluctuation between ‘contraction-expansion’. As the secondary industry has a much stronger expansionary and contractionary capacity for growth, this results in lacking stability leading to industrial structure transformation. Second, since 1999, the orientation towards a high-end manufacturing industry in Shenyang has weakened, and the evolution of the new and old growth path is characterized by low-end orientation. Third, since 2007, Shenyang’s industrial innovation output capacity has dropped sharply which has been significantly affected by scientific and technological personnel and enterprise-owed science and technology institutions and to a less extent by R&D expenditure. We applied the resilience theory to study the industrial evolution of an old industrial city, explored new study perspectives on industrial evolution and verified the applicability of the resilience theory. This paper provides a scientific reference for understanding the recent deceleration in economic growth in the Northeast old industrial base, and for exploring new paths toward revitalization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130102, China

    Haoming Guan, Wenxin Liu, Pingyu Zhang, Jing Li & Liangang Li

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Haoming Guan & Liangang Li

  3. Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China

    Kevin Lo

Authors
  1. Haoming Guan
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  2. Wenxin Liu
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  3. Pingyu Zhang
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  4. Kevin Lo
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  5. Jing Li
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  6. Liangang Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wenxin Liu.

Additional information

Foundation item: Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41571152, 41771179, 41630749, 41601124), the Key Deployment Projects of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. ZDBS-SSW-SQC), 135 Planning and Featured Services Projects of IGA, Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. Y6H2091001)

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Guan, H., Liu, W., Zhang, P. et al. Analyzing Industrial Structure Evolution of Old Industrial Cities Using Evolutionary Resilience Theory: A Case Study in Shenyang of China. Chin. Geogr. Sci. 28, 516–528 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-018-0963-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-018-0963-5

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