Comparative analysis of spatial characteristics of urban network from the perspective of information flow and population flow—A regional urban network case

While various flow data enhance urban network construction, existing studies often overlook the complexities of integrating these data, resulting in a limited understanding of urban network dynamics. This study offers a comprehensive framework for understanding urban network dynamics integrating mobile phone signaling and call data to characterize both population flow and information flow networks. In addition, a series of methods such as the complex network, rank-size rule, and gravity model fitting are comprehensively adopted to compare and analyze the spatial characteristics of the population flow network and the information flow network in terms of hierarchical scale characteristics, the structures and patterns of network space, and geographic distance decay characteristics. It reveals significant differences in hierarchical scale, organizational patterns, and distance decay characteristics between these two types of networks, providing valuable insights for urban planning and management. The conclusions reached are as follows: (1) Both the population flow network and the information flow network present prominent hierarchical characteristics; the population flow network has a more prominent hierarchy; (2) The population flow network and the information flow network present a “hub-spoke” spatial organization pattern and significant “core-edge” characteristics; (3) In terms of distance decay, these two networks are susceptible to geographic distance, and the population flow network connections have a higher degree of near-domain concentration and faster decay. This research provides valuable insights and references for urban planners and policymakers to optimize structures and enhance the efficiency of resource allocation.