ABSTRACT
Urban spatial structure is the space projection of urban economic structure and urban social structure. Urban economic restructure must promote the transformation of urban spatial structure (Illeris 1996). Since 1949, almost all Chinese cities have experienced their transformation from service centers to production centers. Since China launched the reform and opening-up policy, especially after the urban reform in the 1990s, the city’s role as the center of the region has been consolidated, and some cities have changed their urban functions from production centers to service centers. These cities have had rapid growth of their service economy and experienced urban spatial restructure and function-shifting. The GDP of Beijing in 2009 was 1186.6 billion RMB; its GDP per capita surpassed US$10,000 (68788 RMB); and the added value of the tertiary industry reached 900.45 RMB, which ranked first in mainland China and accounted for 75.8 percent of the GDP. Beijing has formed a service-oriented economy, especially in various advantageous sectors, including the financial and insurance industry, tourism, commerce, real estate, cultural industry, information service industry, community service industry, and conference and exhibition industry. The current study applies the data of added value in all sections of the tertiary industry in Beijing between 1949 and 2010, and the data of land-use and layout in key periods. Special attention goes to the urban spatial structure transformation led by the development of service economy sections such as financial industry, retail and wholesale, information industry, real estate, leasing and business service industries, scientific research, and technology services, among others, since 1995 – the year in which the output value of tertiary industry accounted for more than 50 percent of GDP. This chapter analyzes four service economic models, which are the industrial chain, industrial support, industrial integration, and service outsourcing. It also interprets the internal mechanism and trends of the service economy as the transformation of the urban spatial structure in Beijing.
