Highways and Market Integration in the Yangtze River Economic Belt: Dynamics and Regional Heterogeneity

Xiaoli Hu, Xuheng Wang, Chun Hu, International College of Football, Tongji University, School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Department of Geography, University of Kiel, Chongqing Technology and Business University

International Regional Science Review

Published online on October 16, 2025

Abstract

International Regional Science Review, Volume 49, Issue 2, Page 232-256, March 2026.
This study explores the dynamic and regional effects of highway development on market integration within China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB), a region of strategic economic importance. Spanning 11 provinces and contributing nearly half of China’s ...