Analysis of the Patterns and Causes of Spatial Changes of Taiwan Metropolitan Population——Based on the Regional Density Functions

Based on the regional density function,this paper studies the spatial change modes of population in six major metropolitan areas in Taiwan during recent three decades years.The results show that medium and small metropolitan areas of Taiwan have been gradually replacing the large metropolitan areas as new regions to attract immigration.In metropolitan areas,population growth in urban centers stopped and suburbanization emerged,while population began to concentrate in smaller urban areas as well as their downtown regions.This paper argues that such spatial change modes of population are closely related to the agglomeration economies in urban region and the agglomeration diseconomies in big metropolitan areas.