本项目以实证研究为主，结合文献分析和理论分析，通过多城市比较实证，全面总结中国特大城市多中心空间发展的结构特征和演化模式，并建立多中心城市空间结构绩效评价的分析框架，将多中心结构绩效区分为经济绩效、流动绩效和环境绩效，实证检验中国特大城市多中心空间结构对提高经济效率、缩小区域差距，增加就业可达、改善职住平衡，以及降低资源消耗和碳排放等方面的效果。从土地市场、地方财政、政府激励、权利转化等方面，理解中国特大城市多中心空间发展的制度背景，尝试建立符合中国实际的多中心城市空间演化的理论模型，并实证分析中国特大城市多中心空间发展的驱动因素和动力机制。本项目致力于推动我国的多中心城市研究，提出有中国特色的多中心城市空间发展理论，为优化我国特大城市空间发展，解决大城市病，科学推进新型城镇化提供经验证据和理论基础。

Through comparative empirical studies, this research summarizes the characteristics and the patterns of the polycentric spatial development of extra large cities in China. We also establish the framework to evaluate the effects of polycentric development on urban efficiency, mobility and environment, and empirically test the effects of the polycentric development of extra large Chinese cities, which is supposed to improve the economic growth and labor productivity of cities, reduce the regional disparity, increase the job accessibility and facilitate the jobs-housing balance, as well as decrease the land consumption and carbon emissions, etc. Based on the understanding of the institutional background of the polycentric development of extra large Chinese cities from the perspectives of land market, public finance, government incentives, and power structure, we try to set up the theoretical models of polycentric urban evolution in China, and empirically analyze the driving factors and underlying mechanisms of the polycentric development in extra large Chinese cities. This research aims to push forward the study of polycentric cities in China, to propose the polycentric urban theory of China, and to provide empirical evidences and theoretical rationales for policy making to improve the spatial development and help solve the urban problems of extra large Chinese cities, as well as to support the healthy and sustainable urbanization in China.