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

Street networks shape urban dynamics. However, the spatial configuration of street stores and its interaction with urban economy and socio-culture remain insufficiently studied at meso- and micro-scales. Based on the dual network logic of Space Syn-tax—foreground and background networks, the study analyses the spatial distribution patterns of street stores in eight street segments in four Chinese cities: Tianjin, Nanjing, Zhengzhou, and Hong Kong. Network types are distinguished by Normalized Angular Choice (NACH) and patchwork pattern analysis. Drawing on 2019 POI data, street view images, and field surveys, this study compares store operation methods, func-tional diversity, and 100-meter density between the two network types. The results in-dicate that high-value street segments of foreground network are dominated by eco-nomically driven and functionally diverse chain stores, while high-value street seg-ments of background networks tend to have high densities of sole stores that are more embedded in local socio-cultural contexts. By linking spatial configurations of street-level commerce with urban economic and cultural activities, this research ex-tends Space Syntax theory and provides a new analytical method for interpreting and optimizing commercial spatial planning in Chinese cities.