19世纪末20世纪初,随着近代中国社会与经济的现代转型,铁路、轮船等新型交通运输方式应运而生,一批新兴交通型城市逐渐形成,青岛便是其中之一。作为青岛港所在地和胶济铁路起点,青岛市在1898至1937年间的变动与港路休戚相关:港路运输体系的构建,极大改善了当地的交通运输条件,使青岛成为陆上交通枢纽并跃居山东省沿海第一大港;凭借路港联动,物流与人流均以前所未有的速度和规模在内陆-青岛-海外地区间流动,带动了青岛工商经济的飞速发展,也为青岛集聚了人气,大批务工、经商人员移居青岛,青岛市人口规模增大,街市不断扩展。在青岛港和胶济铁路的作用下,青岛完成了由小渔村到现代化城市的嬗变,并由此带动了山东省乃至近代华北地区交通和经济格局的变动。
In the late 19th and the early 20th century, new modes of transportation, such as railways and port, led to new economic and social development in China. At the same time, many new transport - oriented cities grew up, and Qingdao was one of them. With the port and being the start of the Jiaoji railway, Qingdao underwent rapid changes during the Years between 1898 and 1937. The formation of a transport system of both port and railway had greatly improved the local traffic conditions, which helped Qingdao become a hub of road traffic and the largest port along the coast of Shandong Province. Through the coordination of port and railway, labor, capital and goods flew with an unprecedented speed and scale from inlands to Qingdao and abroad, leading to the city' s rapid industrial and economic development. The boom of transportation, industry and commerce attracted a large number of laborers and businessmen to Qingdao. Thus, the urban population of Qingdao increased and the downtown streets expanded greatly. With the port and the Jiaoji railway, Qingdao achieved its change from a small fishing village to a modem city, and therefore led to the changes of the traffic and economic patterns in Shandong Province and modem North China.