Changes in the Urban System Under the Influence of the Internet

This chapter aims to explore the spatial logic of information networks and explains the process and trend of town system changes in the Internet era. At present, the information and communication technology (ICT) network, as an emerging infrastructure system, has become a key element influencing the development of cities. By drawing on theoretical ideas from various fields of human and economic geography, this chapter aims to integrate spatial concepts and theories about urban networks, provide a conceptual theoretical foundation for the study of the spatial organization of urban networks, and further conduct an empirical analysis of the Chinese urban system. The research results show that, on the one hand, the networking process of cities has intensified the spatial agglomeration of Internet elements and caused the trend of spatial polarization in the urban system; on the other hand, ICT changes have also provided a window of opportunity for urban development, and some small- and medium-sized towns are rising with the help of the Internet. And in this process, global connectivity has become the key to local or urban development.