Street Store Spatial Configurations as Indicators of Socio-Economic Embeddedness: A Dual-Network Analysis in Chinese Cities

Street networks shape urban dynamics. However, at the important meso- and micro-scales, a research limitation remains in systematically linking the spatial logic of streets to the physical configuration of street-level commerce, in particular through an analytical lens that distinguishes between different urban network functions. With a view to overcoming this limitation and extending space syntax theory into the fine-grained analysis of commercial form, this study applies its dual-network logic, contrasting foreground networks and background networks. The spatial patterns of street stores were analyzed across eight street segments in four Chinese cities: Tianjin, Nanjing, Zhengzhou, and Hong Kong. Network types were distinguished using Normalized Angular Choice and patchwork pattern analysis. By using 2019 POI data, Street View imagery, and field surveys, a comparative quantitative analysis was conducted across three metrics: operation methods, functional diversity, and 100-m density. The results indicate differences: chain stores hold a clear advantage in high-value segments of the foreground network, a pattern supported by statistical tests. These segments also exhibit higher functional diversity (mean ENT = 5.12). In contrast, high-value street segments of the background network exhibit a consistently higher prevalence of sole stores. They also have a commercial density approximately 2.6 times greater than that of their foreground counterparts. These findings provide empirical evidence on how foreground and background networks support different kinds of commercial ecologies: one oriented toward micro-economy efficiency and standardized supply, the other toward socio-culturally embedded, high-intensity local exchange. Consequently, by linking specific street spatial configurations to measurable commercial outcomes, this research contributes methodologically by operationalizing the dual-network framework at a novel scale and offering a replicable analytical tool for diagnosing and guiding commercial spatial planning in cities.