Is there an equality in the spatial distribution of urban vitality: A case study of Wuhan in China

Abstract

Urban vitality is a spatial phenomenon and a public service. Previous studies often did not measure the fairness of the accessibility of urban vitality. This research analyzed the spatial distribution of urban vitality in Wuhan as a case study area using big data from multiple sources. The study used the two-step floating catchment area method (2SFCA) to measure the accessibility level of each residential district to the vibrant zones (VZs). Furthermore, the inequality in the level of accessibility of residential areas with different housing prices was assessed on the basis of the Gini coefficient. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) the Gini coefficient of reaching the accessibility level of high-grade VZs is 0.426, and the corresponding sub-high-grade Gini coefficient is 0.274. This shows that the inequality in accessibility of different residential areas is more obvious as the level of vitality is higher and (2) residential areas with high housing prices have greater accessibility than those areas with low housing prices. It was also noticed that the level of accessibility and fairness in vitality is generally higher in central urban areas than in suburban areas. The Gini coefficient of high-grade vitality is generally higher than that of sub-high-grade. The results of this study provide a reference for researching the accessibility level of urban vitality, which considers the needs of population, and can also provide guidelines in urban planning regarding the allocation of services and resources.