New perspectives on spatial structure research in information era
信息时代空间结构研究新进展

Spatial structure is the core topics of geography and planning research. Since the 1970s, information technology has begun to affect urban and regional socio economic development. Especially since the 1990s, global informatization characterized by Internet and mobile telecommunication has made urban and regional development face more rapid and more comprehensive transformation. Western academic fields have done lots of research on this new topic. Based on western literatures, this paper reviews relative research on spatial structure under information era from three points, which are: 1) new research topics; 2) shift of research paradigms;and 3) main research contents. With rapid advancement of information technology and its application, geography begins to face continuous challenge, and attention to information activities makes new research topics and new branches emerging. Meanwhile, interaction between information and society also leads to changes in traditional research paradigm. The main research contents are summarized as follows: 1) Cyber space-new spatial logic; 2) location research; 3) decentralization & centralization and even & uneven development of space; 4) innovation network and regional spatial structure; 5) spatial outcome of information development mode; and 6) new spatial polarization.