The activity space and the 15-minute neighborhood: An empirical study using big data in Qingdao, China

Abstract

Daily travel distance in urban China has substantially increased. The spatial layout of the 15-minute neighborhood, which supports local living and encourages walking and biking, was detailed in the Urban Residential District Planning and Design Standards in China in 2018. This study investigates the impacts of the 15-minute neighborhood described in the 2018 standards on activity space, using mobile network data in Qingdao, China. A total of 42,991 subscribers of China Mobile are randomly sampled. The 15-minute neighborhood attributes are objectively measured for sampled residents individually. Our study shows that not all 15-minute neighborhood attributes are associated with smaller activity space. Commercial retail services and green open space, which were found to increase walking and physical activity, do not reduce activity space. On the other hand, public services such as primary school and middle school, bus stops, neighborhood centers, and sports facilities within walking distance are positively associated with smaller activity space.