Research on the Jobs-Housing Balance of Residents in Peri-Urbanization Areas in China: A Case Study of Zoucheng County

Abstract

In the process of urbanization, peri-urbanization is a unique phenomenon in China. For residents living in peri-urbanization areas, realizing the balance between workplace and living space is not only a crucial guarantee for them to secure livelihood but also an important criterion to measure the quality of China’s urbanization. Based on the questionnaire data distributed by the research group in Zoucheng County, China, in 2021, this study measures the degree of jobs-housing balance in county area by constructing the benefit index of jobs-housing balance and explores factors affecting the jobs-housing balance in county area by using logistic regression, random forest classification, and regression tree. Results: Firstly, with 57% of the residents have achieved the standard, the level of jobs-housing balance in Zoucheng County is relatively high. Secondly, individual, household and built environment dimensions jointly affect jobs-housing balance of residents. Furthermore, at the current stage of China’s county areas, household is not the core dimension influencing jobs-housing balance. Thirdly, factors that passed the significance test can be divided into three categories: key factors, important factors, and auxiliary factors. Occupation type, commuting way and residential location are the key factors affecting the jobs-housing balance, which deserve our attention. Therefore, according to the above conclusions, relevant suggestions for promoting jobs-housing balance of residents in county area were put forward. For instance, considering the diverse occupation of local residents, employments that match their skills should be offered, and as for peri-urbanization areas, the regulatory of jobs-housing balance should be placed in urban and rural areas.