Space-Time Behavior Research and Application in China

Abstract

The space-time behavior approach has become an influential methodology in Chinese urban geography. This chapter provides an overview of space-time behavior research in China, introducing theoretical and methodological progress, as well as key themes and findings from recent empirical studies. We argue that space-time behavior research offers a new perspective for understanding the complexity and diversity of human behavior patterns during the large-scale spatial and institutional transition in Chinese cities. Improvement of data quality and analytic tools has facilitated GIS-based geovisualization of space-time activity patterns in Chinese cities and improved understanding of space-time behavior decision within constraints by the built environment. Especially, how dramatic spatial restructuring in transitional urban China impacted on individual’s daily life experiences, which further related to social equity and environmental sustainability issues. Furthermore, planning practices based on space-time behavior analysis in the realms of urban transportation, tourism, and low carbon city planning in urban China are introduced in this chapter. We also argue that, while Chinese urban geographers have made more methodological progress in data collection and analytic tools, theoretical development still lags behind compared to the space-time behavior approach in the West. Finally, this chapter concludes by discussing key theoretical and practical challenges for future development of space-time activity research in China.