MEGA-REGION:NEW SPATIAL PATTERN OF URBANIZATION

Mega-region is a new spatial pattern of urbanization in the context of globalization.Through the integration of economy,ecological environment and infrastructure,it promotes the division of labor and cooperation of producer services and manufacturing between the core and peripheral areas so as to attain the regional co-prosperity.The concept of megaregion is rooted from practical problems,and assimilates the essence of new-regionalism.It provides us with an appropriate spatial scale to probe into the regional problems and means a proper internal structure of regional organization.This paper discriminates the differences and relations between the mega-region and the related concepts;then illuminates its guiding significance for developed areas' current urbanization process in China.Taking the Yangtze River Delta as an example,it examines the method of identifying the boundary of mega-region and analyzes the evolution features of its pattern since 1980s.