Interactions between centrality and commuting costs in a mountainous city: Implications for jobs-housing relationships and land use policies

Abstract

While various empirical studies have been conducted to unpack the links which exist between spatial pattern and commuting costs, the interactions remain unclear given the variations in environmental contexts and methods for identifying polycentricity. Furthermore, there has been limited attention given to mountainous metropolitan areas where the urban structure is greatly influenced by natural barriers. This paper proposes two indicators of centrality by exploring spatial distribution of urban functions and functional linkages respectively, and examines how the two centrality indicators are related to commuting costs in Chongqing, China. The findings confirm the urban structure of Chongqing as being polycentric from both morphological and functional dimensions. The modelling results suggest that both morphological centrality and functional centrality are positively related to commuting costs. The cross-level interactions of variables highlight the significant role that morphological centrality has in a mountainous area. Furthermore, the spatial mismatch of employment and residency varied in different areas of Chongqing; suggesting that there is a need for policy interventions to promote land use mix and jobs-housing balance.