Characterizing the balanced structure of multidimensional spatial networks in the Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao greater Bay Area

Urban network balance is the core embodiment of regional coordinated sustainable development, which gradually highlights its strategic value in the global economic system. Taking the Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as an example, this paper constructs three types of linkage networks—transportation, economy and government, and applies Gephi, ArcGIS, and social network analysis methods. The degree distribution, average path length, average clustering coefficient and network density are used as assessment indicators to explore the spatial structural characteristics of the equitable development of urban network structure. The results show that the transportation network of the GBA faces challenges in terms of connectivity and accessibility, and the distribution of transportation resources within the region is imbalanced. The economy network shows a high degree of complexity, with strong economic ties among the node cities and a high degree of overall network balance. The government network, on the other hand, shows a rising trend of hierarchicality and assortativity characteristics, with particularly significant agglomeration and diversity, fluctuating changes in transmission efficiency, and a network structure that is gradually becoming more balanced. The coupling coordination results further reveal that the transportation, economic, and government networks have become increasingly coordinated, although structural mismatches among different network layers still exist. To further optimize the spatial structure of the GBA and enhance its network balance, this paper proposes policy suggestions such as improving infrastructure construction and optimizing resource allocation.