Residents’ activity-travel behavior variation by communities in Beijing, China

Abstract

China’s transition from a planned economy to a market economy has resulted in many changes in its urban structure and society and provided an opportunity for a quasi-longitudinal case study on the relationship between the built environment and activity-travel behavior. This paper draws upon data from an activity diary survey conducted in Beijing in 2007. The survey sample comprised 652 residents living in Danwei (work unit), commodity housing, and affordable housing neighborhoods. On the basis of the three-dimensional geo-visualization analysis of the space-time path and statistical multivariate regression models of daily travel and leisure time, it was found that both residential spatial factors and socio-demographics influence residents’ daily behaviors. The findings show that Danwei residents have less daily travel time than those who live in commodity housing, but people living in affordable housing endure the longest travel time. Daily leisure time is associated more with individual attributes. We argue that although China’s transition is currently gradual, the Danwei system may continue to play significant roles in daily life, and it might provide a valuable model for neighborhood spatial planning.