自古以来,人类的经济活动一直与河海和港口休戚相关,河海有舟楫之便,港口成为物资集散地,自然成为物资流通和集散的场所。尤其在现代,港口既是现代化运输业的中心环节,又是地区经济腾飞的重要因素,已成为港口腹地经济发展极核和有力支柱。港口与城市,不仅把生产和流通有机组合起来,而且对于开拓国内、国际市场,把局部地区和全

The Chinese coastal urban system has several obvious recent characteristics. They are mainly (1) the rare distribution of the port city, which is dense in the North and sparse in the South; (2) two kinds of port pattern: estuary port and coastal port; (3) lack of special port, wharf and berth; and (4) forming of the open economic system.To make a comprehensive survey of economic developing condition of the China coast,, the development of the coastal urban system has the preponderance in six respects: (1) substantial economic base, developed external trade; (2) strong central position of the seaport city; (3) abundant marine resources, great exploit potentialities; (4) rich and varied tourist resources, more nature scenery with seas and waters; (5) a very long distance of "Golden Coast"; and (6) advance in science and technology, sufficient resource of man power. But, it has also weakness in the short of supply of energy, fresh-water source and a thin over-land network of communications and transportationIn view of all these above, we consider that the development of the coastal urban economy must open to the world market, link closer the port with the interior, modernize the classical sectors of industry and exploit marine resources. The aim of the coastal urban system planning is seeking in an overall view the whole effect according to the law of urban development of China's seaports. The Urban system Planning focuses mainly on particular groups of sub-system planning such as: (1) the territorial spatial structure planning (include the Ringed Bohai Economic Zone, the Changjiang Golden Delta Economic Zone and the Southeast Coastal Economic Zone); (2) the hierarchy planning of the rank-size structure with Shanghai as its head; (3) Organization of the coastal urban function and (4) the mesh system planning (include the seaport system, the transportation network, the castal tourist mesh and the urban economic mesh).