Quantifying Virtual Urban Commercial Linkages Using Spatial Phone Call Data—A Comparative Study Between Guangzhou and Shenzhen

The importance of cities hinges on how they connect with other cities globally, yet research has been lacking in the exploration of virtual linkages. This study takes Guangzhou and Shenzhen as samples to measure their virtual urban linkage with other cities in China. First, it improves the gravity model by considering the impact of distance on call intentions in the context of phone conversations. Second, it uses call detail record (CDR) data to measure urban linkage based on the enhanced gravity model. Lastly, it employs a more effective geodetector to analyze the driving factors. The results indicate the following: cities in the southeast exhibit significantly higher connectivity; Guangzhou’s linkage is more pronounced than Shenzhen’s; and the volume of import and export trade is a stronger indicator of urban linkage. The urban linkage measured through CDRs offers new insights into the study of urban linkage.