Size and spatial and functional structure of aggregate daily mobility networks in functional urban areas: Integrating adjacent spaces at several scales

Abstract

People's daily movements, as aggregated in spatial units, shape mobility flows that can be modelled by geospatial networks. The structure of these networks both reflects and influences how cities are lived in, perceived and planned. In this study, location tracking data from mobile phones were used to investigate the functional and spatial structures of daily mobility networks and how these networks change as they grow in size. A case study was performed on 81 Spanish functional Urban Areas (FUAs). The results of this study show that the friction of the space and the average length of the aggregate daily mobility are constant and do not depend on the area and demographic size of the FUAs. The average length of the aggregate daily mobility is associated with the increase in complexity that occurs as mobility networks grow, which is reflected in an increase in the number of levels of interaction and the proportion of local flows that integrate adjacent spaces across different scales. The method used provides quantitative indicators that reveal the similarities and differences of daily mobility, as well as the interactions that occur in FUAs according to their size. This information is very useful in urban and mobility planning.