A Novel Multi-dimensional Evaluation Framework and Spatiotemporal Analysis of Shipping Cities Based on Entropy-Weighted TOPSIS Method

Stepping into the new stage of trade openness, shipping city initiatives have attracted increasing attention. An integrated five-dimension system is constructed to investigate the construction level of shipping city. The entropy-weighted TOPSIS method is applied to assess typical shipping cities in China from 2006 to 2021. And the center radiation-driving force is measured by the gravitational model. Furthermore, the distribution dynamics and regional differences are examined to reveal the spatial structure behind urban transition. The results highlighted that (1) center radiation-driving force had excellent performance compared with other indicators. (2) As for the ranking of cities, Shanghai and Ningbo had a relatively high evaluation values thanks to their radiation-driving power. (3) Through the reginal analysis, the degree of comprehensive benefits took the following in order: eastern region > northern region > southern region. Based on the empirical results, the government should formulate suitable policies to form an exemplary and leading effect of shipping city ultimately.