Suburbanization, land use of TOD and lifestyle mobility in the suburbs: An examination of passengers’ choice to live, shop and entertain in the metro station areas of Beijing

Abstract

In the process of suburbanization of large growing cities, transit passengers have an undeniable role to play in terms of local traffic, car use, and petrol consumption. It is widely believed that transit-oriented development (metro station) could encourage people to live and consume near transit station areas through walking and cycling rather than travelling by car. However, opinions on this are still mixed. In addition, the existing literature is dominated by analyses of residents, while analyses of passengers remain scarce. This paper fills this gap by looking at metro station areas in Beijing. Using survey data, the study found mixed land use attracts passengers to shop more within metro station areas than in other places. More non-residential land developments attract more patrons to dine and access entertainment within metro station areas. Surprisingly, land use in the metro station areas was unrelated to passengers’ choice to live within metro station areas, while housing prices and income had significant effects. Personal preferences for travel mode have an effect, and those who dislike travel tend to shop and seek entertainment locally. This study suggests that land-use planning in metro station areas could be helpful in shaping more sustainable mobility in the process of suburbanization of China’s growing cities.