Urban Spatial Monitoring on Innovative Activities: The Case of G60 Innovative Corridor

Abstract

This study explores the application of urban spatial monitoring data in the implementation and evaluation of urban planning, with a particular focus on the spatial distribution and dynamic evolution of innovative activities within urban territories. Using the G60 Innovation Corridor in the Yangtze River Delta as a case study, this study analyzes invention patent data from nine cities from 2010 to 2021, combined with the International Patent Classification (IPC) system and geographic information technology. The findings reveal that: (1) The number of invention patents in the G60 Innovation Corridor exhibited a three-stage trend of "slow growth - rapid growth - fluctuating decline" from 2010 to 2020, with Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Hefei emerging as core innovation hubs; (2) Innovative technologies are predominantly concentrated in Class B (performing operations; transporting) and Class G (physics), with significant growth in sub-fields such as G06 (computing technology), reflecting the rapid development of the digital economy; (3) Spatially, a multi-polar distribution pattern has formed around Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Hefei, with cross-regional patent cooperation primarily in physics and electronic technology, accounting for over 50% of collaborations. The results provide a scientific basis for optimizing territorial space planning, guiding the agglomeration of innovative resources, and promoting regional coordinated development.

Keywords: urban spatial monitoring, innovative technologies, technology class, G60 highways, Yangtze River Delta, China

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1006611