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Abstract The external attraction of urban functions refers to the ability of specific urban functional areas to attract foreign populations, which can reflect the importance of urban functions in the regional or even global scope. Existing research tends to discuss urban attraction at the macro level, which is insufficient for understanding the importance of internal city functions. Analyzing the attraction of urban functions from the perspective of travel characteristics can reveal the distribution and preferences of the foreign population, which can help the rational planning of urban functions. In this study, we combine Points of interest (POI) and signaling data to identify Shanghai’s urban functional areas and the external population's distribution patterns. The attraction index is calculated based on cross-city geographic flow to evaluate the external attraction of Shanghai's functions from real fine-level human activities. The results show that both Shanghai’s urban functional area and external population distribution present a “ring-radial” distribution with the city center as the core, high in the Central Business District (CBD), and gradually decreasing outward. The overall external attraction also presents a gradual decrease from the center outward with a similar “ring-radial” distribution. At the same time, the regional subcenter of Shanghai also excels in external attraction. Universities, well-known business districts, industrial districts, and famous tourist spots become the dominant functions with high external attraction. Above all, the economic factor is the most important driver for migration. Our research provides valuable insights into Shanghai’s global city vision and lays a scientific foundation for long-term future urban development and planning.
Li et al. (Wed,) studied this question.