Spatial Variations of Commuting Behavior and Their Impact Factors in Shanghai Metropolitan Area

Li, Kaiming; Yue, Liying; Geng, Huizhi; Li, Kaishun · 2022 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.3389/fbuil.2022.789024

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Summary

This study investigates the spatial variations of commuting behavior and their underlying impact factors within the Shanghai Metropolitan Area, aiming to inform sustainable urban development and transportation optimization. Motivated by increasing traffic congestion and the need to balance jobs and housing, the research addresses a gap in existing literature, which has predominantly focused on Western cities or analyzed spatial and social factors separately. The study specifically seeks to determine the relative importance of spatial versus social determinants on commuting distance and duration in a Chinese urban context. The analysis utilizes data from the 2015 1% National Population Sample Survey, covering approximately 0.7 million residents across 195 sub-districts in Shanghai. The researchers constructed an improved job accessibility index to evaluate the jobs–housing spatial relationship, accounting for competitive job opportunities and distance attenuation. To assess spatial patterns, the study employed Global and Local Moran’s I statistics for spatial autocorrelation analysis. To identify impact factors, the authors applied Spatial Lag Models (SLM) and Spatial Error Models (SEM), incorporating spatial variables (e.g., job density, distance from CBD, job accessibility) and social variables (e.g., education level, household registration status, car ownership, gender). The results reveal significant intra-urban heterogeneity and spatial autocorrelation for both commuting metrics. The median commuting distance is 6.32 km, with high–high agglomeration areas scattered between the outer ring road and outer suburbs, driven by residential areas with low job accessibility. The median commuting duration is 28.37 min, with high–high clusters concentrated between the middle and outer ring roads. Crucially, the study finds that social factors exert a more significant influence on commuting levels than spatial factors. Ignoring social variables leads to an overestimation of spatial effects. Specifically, commuting distance is most strongly correlated with spatial factors, with job accessibility being the critical determinant. In contrast, commuting duration is more significantly associated with social factors, particularly the education level of the workforce. The significance of this research lies in its empirical evidence that social dimensions are more influential than spatial structures in shaping commuting behavior in Shanghai. This challenges the dominance of spatial mismatch theories in urban planning. The findings imply that urban governance strategies aiming to reduce commuting burdens must integrate socioeconomic considerations alongside spatial planning. By highlighting the distinct drivers for distance versus duration, the study provides nuanced policy recommendations for improving residents' quality of life and promoting sustainable urban development in rapidly expanding Chinese metropolises.

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