Mengqiu Cao | University College London (original) (raw)

Papers by Mengqiu Cao

Current Issues in Tourism, 2024

Cross-boundary interactions between second-home owners and local are complex over time – networks... more Cross-boundary interactions between second-home owners and local are complex over time – networks form and evolve within second-home owners and between owners and locals, each with its deliberately selective inclusion and exclusion. However, little attention has been paid to this phenomenon in the literature. This study, based on social network analysis alongside qualitative interviews, explores the dynamics of interactions between second-home owners and locals by analysing the networks formed by second-home owners in Qinglinkou, China. The ways in which second-home owners maintain and strengthen pre-existing networks with other owners and forge new links with locals, shape the cross-boundary interactions between the two groups. This study contributes to understanding the dynamics of cross-boundary interactions that are interwoven into the networks that second-home owners establish and maintain over time, and offers additional insights into the fragility of integration and high risk of segregation between the two groups in second-home destinations.

Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2024

Promoting well-being and contentment among daily commuters is pivotal for sustainable and thrivin... more Promoting well-being and contentment among daily commuters is pivotal for sustainable and thriving societies. This study investigates the reciprocal link between commuting satisfaction, overall life contentment, and personality traits, focusing on the unique and eco-friendly mode of boat commuting in particular. Using a combination of subjective survey data and objective physiological measures (resting heart rate (RHR) and facial emotions), this empirical study uncovers heightened commuting satisfaction among boat commuters compared to non-boat users. Employing analytical tools such as exploratory factor analysis (EFA), independent t-tests and ordinal logistic regression (OLR), the study elucidates the positive influence of boat commuting on life contentment and personality traits. While Spearman correlation tests did not establish significant links between low RHR, cheerful facial emotions, and commute satisfaction, the findings illuminate intricate connections between commuting mode and well-being. These insights hold relevance for shaping sustainable commuting strategies and policies, thus contributing to enhanced urban well-being and ecologically conscious transportation practices.

Urban Climate, 2024

Global warming caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) is receiving increasingly attention from all over t... more Global warming caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) is receiving increasingly attention from all over the world, and urban transportation is a significant source of greenhouse gas and pollutant emission. However, the research on traffic state of urban road networks (URNs) based on sparse floating vehicle data (FVD) is insufficient. Therefore, we mainly utilize big data techniques to explore the congestion and pollutant emission of URN with FVD. Firstly, the location of vehicles is identified and matched with the URN. We then grid the FVD and city maps to more accurately identify areas of congestion and emission in later section. Following this, we use the congestion index and K-means clustering algorithm to evaluate the traffic state over time, pollutant emission is calculated based on emission calculation standards and carbon emission is estimated by using the fuel consumption-speed model. The results indicate that congestion and emission are very severe during peak hours (e.g., 8:00 a.m.), particularly in some transportation hub areas, such as high-speed rail stations. During off-peak hours (e.g., 11:00 p.m.), congestion and emission are relatively lower. The negative correlation between congestion index and emission is also revealed. This study provides some practical approaches to more accurately estimate the overall urban traffic state by using sparse traffic data, and may offer support to urban traffic managers in managing traffic congestion and pollutant emissions.

Innovation in Aging, 2023

Background and Objectives: This study systematically explores the association between community g... more Background and Objectives: This study systematically explores the association between community green space and preventing kidney failure among middle-aged and older adults in China, using street view data.

Research Design and Methods: The 33 Chinese Community Health Study (CCHS) was used to conduct the analysis. We used street view data to assess street view green space (SVG) exposure and clearly distinguished the difference between grass (SVG-grass) and trees (SVG-tree). The normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) was also used. Kidney failure was defined as a serum creatinine concentration of above 177mol/l. We used multilevel logistic regression models (controlled for a series of covariates) to examine the associations between SVG and the odds of middle-aged and older adults having kidney failure. We also tested whether middle-aged and older adults from socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are likely to derive greater benefits from the effects of green space (‘equigenesis’).

Results: The results showed that both SVG (OR = 0.353; 95% CI = 0.171-0.731) and SVG-trees (OR = 0.327; 95% CI = 0.146-0.736) were negatively associated with the likelihood of middle-aged and older adults experiencing kidney failure, but there was no significant evidence of any links between either SVG-grass (OR = 0.567; 95% CI = 0.300-1.076) or the NDVI (OR = 0.398; 95% CI = 0.237-1.058) and kidney failure. Furthermore, the moderation analysis indicated that income and educational attainment have a moderating effect on the association between green space and the improvement of kidney health, which suggests that green space has greater positive effects on the kidney health of disadvantaged groups.

Discussion and Implications: To reduce inequalities in relation to kidney disease through urban planning, policymakers are advised to provide more visual green space – especially trees – within the community and to focus in particular on socioeconomically disadvantaged population groups.

Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 2023

Gravity-based models have been extensively utilized in urban studies for measuring geographic dis... more Gravity-based models have been extensively utilized in urban studies for measuring geographic disparities in access to urban parks over the past several decades. However, despite methodological advancements incorporating various aspects of accessibility, there has been limited focus on the impact of variable selection (e.g., attractiveness factors) and transport modes on accessibility evaluations. This study investigates the differences in gravity-based models for assessing park accessibility based on varying assumptions about attractiveness factors and travel impedance. Semi-structured interviews with local residents were conducted to identify the reasons for park visits in Shanghai. Our bivariate correlation analyses reveal that factors such as park openness and access to public transport were crucial, in addition to conventional factors identified in the literature (i.e., park size and driving accessibility). This insight led to the development of localized accessibility measurements that incorporate park inclusiveness (i.e., entrance fees and opening hours) and multimodal travel options (based on multinomial logistic mode choice models). The results indicate that the refined model produces lower and more varied accessibility levels, which can better capture accessibility gaps across different geographic contexts. This accurate and practical identification of accessibility gaps can assist local planners and decision-makers in formulating effective policies and strategies to promote equitable access to urban public parks.

Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2023

Inspecting the number of rebars in each column of a reinforced concrete (RC) structure is a signi... more Inspecting the number of rebars in each column of a reinforced concrete (RC) structure is a significant task that must be undertaken during the rebar inspection process. Conventionally, counting the rebars has relied on a manual inspection carried out by visiting inspectors. However, this approach is very time-consuming, labor-intensive, and poses a potential safety risk. Previous studies have focused on the applications of counting the rebars for a production line and/or warehouse, using vision-based methods. Therefore, this study aims to propose an innovative approach incorporating the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on real construction sites to count the rebars automatically. For analyzing the images, robust object detection methods based on deep learning (Faster R-CNN, R-FCN, SSD 300, SSD500, YOLOv5, and YOLOv6) were developed. A total of 384 models generated from six different methods were trained and implemented using data sets based on the original and augmented images with adjustments made for the hyperparameters. In a test, the best optimized model based on Faster R-CNN produced an accuracy of 94.61% at AP50. In addition, video testing demonstrated a coverage of up to 32 frames per second in the experimental environment, suggesting that this method has potential for real-time application.

Urban Planning

The need to prioritise the development of bus transport has attracted widespread attention in the... more The need to prioritise the development of bus transport has attracted widespread attention in the literature. This study aims to investigate how buses can be used to facilitate a sustainable transport system, using Heze, in China, as a case study. Our results show that older people, unemployed residents, and those whose points of departure or arrival are within the city centre are more likely to travel by bus. In addition, compared to other travel modes, travel by bus tends to become more popular as travel time and distance increase. We predict the probabilities of people using buses for journeys of different travel times and over varying distances and rank them in order. The results suggest that bus travel could potentially replace car travel when the travel time is between 15 and 30 minutes or the travel distance is more than 9 km. In terms of policy implications, governments and planners should pay more attention to creating additional bus lanes, extending the bus network and its...

Sustainability

This Special Issue focuses on exploring the relationship between urban form, mobility, and social... more This Special Issue focuses on exploring the relationship between urban form, mobility, and social well-being across neighbourhoods, cities, and regions [...]

Journal of Advanced Transportation

In recent years, the level of acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has changed with the advent... more In recent years, the level of acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has changed with the advent of new sensor technologies and the proportional increase in market perception of these vehicles. Our study provides an overview of the relevant existing studies in order to consolidate current knowledge and pave the way for future studies in this area. The paper first reviews studies investigating the market acceptance of AVs. We identify the nonbehavioural factors that account for the level of acceptance and examine these in detail by cross-referencing the results of relevant papers published between 2014 and 2021 to reach a consensus on the perceived benefits and concerns. The findings showed that previous studies have found legal liability, safety, privacy, security, traffic conditions, and cost to be key external factors influencing the acceptance or rejection of AVs, and that the upsides of adopting AVs in regard to improving traffic conditions and safety outweigh the risks identif...

Auto Time, 2023

With the rapid development of urbanisation and the continuous growth in demand for transport, mon... more With the rapid development of urbanisation and the continuous growth in demand for transport, monitoring and analysing the urban traffic environment has become one of the most important means through which to improve the efficiency of traffic operations and enhance the quality of the transport environment. This paper explores the methods and applications relating to the Internet of Things (IoT) that can be used to monitor and analyse the urban traffic environment. By utilising techniques such as wireless sensor networks, cloud computing, and big data analytics, real-time, accurate, and comprehensive data on the urban traffic environment can be acquired and analysed, providing a scientific basis for traffic management decision-making. This paper provides a detailed overview of how areas of the IoT can be used in urban traffic environment monitoring. It also analyses the advantages of and challenges posed by the IoT in relation to urban traffic environment monitoring, and proposes directions and recommendations for future development.

Sustainability

Although the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate, through SDG 4 and SDG... more Although the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate, through SDG 4 and SDG 10, equitable quality education and the reduction of inequalities within and between countries, respectively, few studies have examined how inequalities in regional sustainability influence higher education. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between regional sustainability and higher education in China using fixed-effects panel modelling. A systematic force framework showing how regional sustainability drives higher education was constructed from economic, social, and environmental perspectives, and the endogeneity in the process of how regional sustainability affects higher education was explored by introducing one-year lagged values as instrumental variables. Our results show that regional sustainability has a significant impact on higher educational attainment in China, with differing effects in the eastern, central, and western regions, respectively. In central ...

Frontiers in Public Health, 2023

Introduction: This study sets out to provide scientific evidence on the spatial risk for the form... more Introduction: This study sets out to provide scientific evidence on the spatial risk for the formation of a superspreading environment.

Methods: Focusing on six common types of urban facilities (bars, cinemas, gyms and fitness centers, places of worship, public libraries and shopping malls), it first tests whether visitors' mobility characteristics differ systematically for different types of facility and at different locations. The study collects detailed human mobility and other locational data in Chicago, Hong Kong, London, São Paulo, Seoul and Zurich. Then, considering facility agglomeration, visitors' profile and the density of the population, facilities are classified into four potential spatial risk (PSR) classes. Finally, a kernel density function is employed to derive the risk surface in each city based on the spatial risk class and nature of activities.

Results: Results of the human mobility analysis reflect the geographical and cultural context of various facilities, transport characteristics and people's lifestyle across cities. Consistent across the six global cities, geographical agglomeration is a risk factor for bars. For other urban facilities, the lack of agglomeration is a risk factor. Based on the spatial risk maps, some high-risk areas of superspreading are identified and discussed in each city.

Discussion: Integrating activity-travel patterns in risk models can help identify areas that attract highly mobile visitors and are conducive to superspreading. Based on the findings, this study proposes a place-based strategy of non-pharmaceutical interventions that balance the control of the pandemic and the daily life of the urban population.

Journal of Advanced Transportation, 2023

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is an urban designed model aimed at attracting more sustainabl... more Transit-oriented development (TOD) is an urban designed model aimed at attracting more sustainable travellers. However, not all TOD projects succeed in maintaining a high rate of sustainable travel behaviour. To examine the impacts of TOD on residents’ travel behaviour, this paper applies binary logistic regression to analyse survey data for 1,298 residents living in the TOD areas in Hangzhou collected in 2020. The results show that socioeconomic characteristics, built environment factors, and travel attitudes play important roles in influencing their travel mode choices. Furthermore, the number of children in households and higher levels of car ownership significantly influence residents’ sustainable travel behaviours. However, it appears that only a limited number of factors can convince car users to shift to sustainable modes of travel, such as their workplace being accessible by metro and attitudes towards changes in accessibility. This research study contributes to the existing literature in terms of enhancing the understanding of travel mode choice behaviours, particularly with regard to people who live near public transport infrastructure, as well as formulating evidence-based TOD policies to achieve more sustainable transport systems.

Computational Urban Science, 2023

The interactions between vulnerability and human activities have largely been regarded in terms o... more The interactions between vulnerability and human activities have largely been regarded in terms of the level of risk they pose, both internally and externally, for certain groups of disadvantaged individuals and regions/areas. However, to date, very few studies have attempted to develop a comprehensive composite regional vulnerability index, in relation to travel, housing, and social deprivation, which can be used to measure vulnerability at an aggregated level in the social sciences. Therefore, this research aims to develop a composite regional vulnerability index with which to examine the combined issues of travel, housing and socioeconomic vulnerability (THASV index). It also explores the index's relationship with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting both social and spatial inequality, using Greater London as a case study, with data analysed at the level of Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs). The findings show that most of the areas with high levels of composite vulnerability are distributed in Outer London, particularly in suburban areas. In addition, it is also found that there is a spatial correlation between the THASV index and the risk of COVID-19 deaths, which further exacerbates the potential implications of social deprivation and spatial inequality. Moreover, the results of the multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) show that the travel and socioeconomic indicators in a neighbouring district and the related vulnerability indices are strongly associated with the risk of dying from COVID-19. In terms of policy implications, the findings can be used to inform sustainable city planning and urban development strategies designed to resolve urban socio-spatial inequalities and the potential related impacts of COVID-19, as well as guiding future policy evaluation of urban structural patterns in relation to vulnerable areas.

Land Use Policy, 2022

Awareness is growing that the uneven provision of street urban green space (UGS) may lead to envi... more Awareness is growing that the uneven provision of street urban green space (UGS) may lead to environmental injustice. Most previous studies have focused on the over-head perspective of street UGS provision. However, only a few studies have evaluated the disparities in visible street UGS provision. While a plethora of studies have focused on a single dimension of visible UGS provision, no previous studies have developed a framework for systematically evaluating visible street UGS provision. This study therefore proposes a novel 4 ‘A′ framework, and aims to assess different dimensions (namely: availability; accessibility; attractiveness; and aesthetics) of visible street UGS provision, using Beijing as a case study. It investigates inequities in different dimensions of visible street UGS provision. In addition, it also explores the extent to which a neighbourhood’s economic level is associated with different dimensions of visible street UGS. Our results show that, in Beijing, the four chosen dimensions of visible street UGS provision significantly differ in terms of spatial distribution and the association between them. Furthermore, we found that the value of the Gini index and Moran’s I index for attractiveness and aesthetics are higher than those for availability and accessibility, which indicates a more unequal distribution of visible street UGS from a qualitative perspective. We also found that a community’s economic level is positively associated with attractiveness and aesthetics, while no evidence was found to support the claim that the economic level of a community associated with availability and accessibility. This study suggests that visible street UGS provision is unequal; therefore, urban planning policy should pay more attention to disparities in visible street UGS provision, particularly in urban areas.

Sustainability, 2022

Although the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate, through SDG 4 and SDG... more Although the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate, through SDG 4 and SDG 10, equitable quality education and the reduction of inequalities within and between countries, respectively, few studies have examined how inequalities in regional sustainability influence higher education. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between regional sustainability and higher education in China using fixed effects panel modelling. A systematic force framework showing how regional sustainability drives higher education was constructed from economic, social, and environmental perspectives, and the endogeneity in the process of how regional sustainability affects higher education was explored by introducing one-year lagged values as instrumental variables. Our results show that regional sustainability has a significant impact on higher educational attainment in China, with differing effects in the eastern, central, and western regions, respectively. In central China, economic sustainability plays a significant positive role in higher educational attainment; in the western region, economic and social sustainability have stronger positive effects, while environmental sustainability has significantly negative effects. In terms of policy implications, our findings can be used to support regional development policies to promote regional higher education.

International Review for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development, 2022

There is currently an emerging discussion about the shifting frontiers of research in the field o... more There is currently an emerging discussion about the shifting frontiers of research in the field of urban and regional planning. This special section focuses on the new spatial planning paradigm from a theoretical and methodological development perspective. The six papers published in this special section contribute to and extend the spatial planning literature, specifically in relation to land use, ecology and urban geography. The main themes addressed by the papers are as follows: 1) advancing the theoretical development of the concept of new ruralism and its application as a spatial planning principle for sustainable development in rural areas of Korea; 2) the significance of spatial adaptation and the resilience of healthcare systems in responding to the unprecedented hazards and health risks resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in Abu Dhabi City, in the United Arab Emirates; 3) transit-oriented development (TOD) and its spatial associations with the land use of low-density areas in the Keihanshin conurbation in Japan; 4) estimating the land surface temperature to enhance understanding of changes in the landscape for residents of the Kolkata Metropolitan area in India, using a radiative transfer equation algorithm; 5) how the ecological knowledge of local residents in Shiheung City in Korea, accessed via a spatial text mining approach, can be used to inform policy making; 6) applying a Q methodology to investigate individuals' subjective views and perceptions of nature/natural features when visiting urban parks in Seoul, Korea. Bringing different types of theoretical and methodological perspectives together, this editorial concludes with a summary, critical discussion and suggestions for future research with regard to the new spatial planning paradigm.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental concepts and function of transport... more This book provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental concepts and function of transport, as well as covering a wide array of themes, including different modes of both passenger and freight transport, primarily using various case studies from Great Britain, accompanied by short narratives/stories. It is suitable not only for academics and students, but also for people working in the transport industry. This book is particularly useful for those who are interested in the broad subject of transport in general, within the field of social sciences, but may not have studied engineering, economics, statistics or mathematics

Transport Policy, 2019

The social impacts of transport systems and new transport infrastructure have often been overlook... more The social impacts of transport systems and new transport infrastructure have often been overlooked and undervalued, partly because the relationship between transport and social equity is indirect and difficult to quantify. Researchers have usefully investigated the relationship between transport and social exclusion, focusing on aspects such as access to opportunities and activities by different population cohorts such as income, class, age, ethnicity and gender. The analysis has focused on addressing the imbalance in the distributional effects of transport provision and accessibility planning has often been a central tool in analysis. This paper seeks to build on the aforementioned research, employing Amartya Sen's Capabilities Approach as a theoretical framework to explore how an individual's capabilities and functionings differ in relation to transport. Beijing is used as a case study, with analysis from three stations on the Beijing subway line 1 and its extension to the Batong line, namely Guomao, Sihui and Tuqiao. Martha Nussbaum's Central Human Capabilities Approach is used to frame the analysis. The results show that functionings and capabilities differ according to an individual's socioeconomic characteristics and geographical location, meaning that both the opportunities to participate in life and also the actual activities themselves differ. This is an important distinction that the Capabilities Approach offers, and it is useful to consider if the potential for achieving improved social equity is to be realised. Keywords Transport; social equity; travel equity; the Capabilities Approach; Beijing. Highlights  The Capabilities Approach is applied in transport planning.  A framework for understanding multi-dimensional social impacts is developed, including issues of life, bodily health, emotion and affiliation.  Comparisons are made for capabilities and functionings across socio-demographic characteristics and location.

Journal of Transport and Health, 2022

Introduction: Active travel is currently gaining popularity worldwide as a sustainable form of tr... more Introduction:
Active travel is currently gaining popularity worldwide as a sustainable form of travel. However, very few studies have examined how the built environment affects active travel behaviour on university campuses, particularly in China. It is a key feature of Chinese university campuses that they are generally gated communities, which are spatially organised in a very different way from campuses in other countries, and they often also provide for students' daily needs, meaning that students tend to travel off-campus less frequently.

Aims:
This research aims to explore the link between street greenery and the active travel behaviour of students on closed university campuses in China.

Methods:
The study combined sensor data from Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre (HEMC), China, with individual cross-sectional survey data from university students and applied a multilevel logistic regression model to conduct the analysis. Street-view images were analysed using a deep learning approach, which represents an emerging method for assessing urban green space.

Results:
The results demonstrated that street greenery on campuses is positively associated with active travel among university students. Modes of travel also influenced active travel, with university students who owned bicycles tending to participate in active travel more; however, those who travelled by electric bikes were less likely to participate in active travel.

Conclusions:
This study suggests that policymakers and transport planners should focus more on greening urban areas and improving walking and cycling environments to achieve green transport goals through urban planning.

Current Issues in Tourism, 2024

Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2024

Urban Climate, 2024

Innovation in Aging, 2023

Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 2023

Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2023

Urban Planning

Sustainability

Journal of Advanced Transportation

Auto Time, 2023

Sustainability

Frontiers in Public Health, 2023

Journal of Advanced Transportation, 2023

Computational Urban Science, 2023

Land Use Policy, 2022

Sustainability, 2022

Although the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate, through SDG 4 and SDG... more Although the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate, through SDG 4 and SDG 10, equitable quality education and the reduction of inequalities within and between countries, respectively, few studies have examined how inequalities in regional sustainability influence higher education. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between regional sustainability and higher education in China using fixed effects panel modelling. A systematic force framework showing how regional sustainability drives higher education was constructed from economic, social, and environmental perspectives, and the endogeneity in the process of how regional sustainability affects higher education was explored by introducing one-year lagged values as instrumental variables. Our results show that regional sustainability has a significant impact on higher educational attainment in China, with differing effects in the eastern, central, and western regions, respectively. In central China, economic sustainability plays a significant positive role in higher educational attainment; in the western region, economic and social sustainability have stronger positive effects, while environmental sustainability has significantly negative effects. In terms of policy implications, our findings can be used to support regional development policies to promote regional higher education.

International Review for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development, 2022

Transport Policy, 2019

Journal of Transport and Health, 2022

Aims:
This research aims to explore the link between street greenery and the active travel behaviour of students on closed university campuses in China.

Centre for Sustainable Road Freight, 2021

BrownWalker Press, 2022

Elsevier, 2021

The aims of this chapter are to review the history of transport development in China, and then ex... more The aims of this chapter are to review the history of transport development in China, and then examine the status quo of transport planning and management, as well as critically discuss the current transport strategies that have been implemented and their implications for China. The research analyses show that although an increasing amount has been invested in the transport infrastructure and the transport network has been extended, while some effective transport strategies have also been rolled out, traffic issues still exist. In addition, it has also been found that we need to develop more context-specific strategies to mitigate traffic-related issues in China, and not just directly replicate those used in developed countries. Finally, it is argued that resolving unsustainable transport issues should not just rely on government-oriented transport planning and management strategies, but should also involve educating people through a bottom-up approach in order to improve transport users’ perceptions and ultimately facilitate more environmentally friendly and compliant travel behaviour in China.

Handbook on Transport and Urban Transformation in China, 2020

This chapter utilises the Capabilities Approach to assess different levels of social equity in re... more This chapter utilises the Capabilities Approach to assess different levels of social equity in relation to transport provision in East Beijing. The aim of the analysis is to explore the different levels of social equity relative to gender, age, hukou, personal income and car ownership, specifically in terms of capabilities and functionings, that is, we investigate how the perceived opportunity to travel and access activities as well as actual travel differs across population groups. East Beijing, and in particular the district of Guomao, is used as a case study, to illustrate features of a relatively wealthy area with abundant transport resources. The research analysis shows that capabilities and functionings differ according to an individual’s socio-economic characteristics. In transport planning, in China and beyond, we would argue that transport-related social inequity has been largely overlooked in developing transport systems and is not considered to any significant extent in project appraisal.

A Companion to Transport, Space and Equity, 2019

Inequalities not only exist in the field of economics in relation to income and wealth, but also ... more Inequalities not only exist in the field of economics in relation to income and wealth, but also in other areas, such as the transport sector, where access to and use of different transport modes varies markedly across population groups, and which provides the means to access everyday living activities. A key concern within the transport sector is that inequality has extended beyond the traditional measures of travel, and now covers a wide range of effects relating to social exclusion, freedom, well-being and being able to access reasonable opportunities and resources. In order to address the aforementioned issues, an important question to resolve is what type of methods can be used to measure inequalities in transport most effectively. Therefore, this study aims to apply different approaches, including the Capabilities Approach (CA) and a further six inequality indices, namely the Gini coefficient, the Atkinson index, the Palma ratio, the Pietra ratio, the Schutz coefficient and the Theil index, to the case study using the relatively migrant-rich lower-income neighbourhood of Tuqiao, in Beijing, in order to assess individual transport-related social inequity issues. The findings suggest that the CA is useful in assessing transport-related inequalities where there are significant barriers to the take up of accessibility, for example where there are high levels of disadvantaged groups and disaggregated analysis can be undertaken. The Palma ratio appears to have a larger effect than the Gini coefficient and the other inequality indices when measuring transport-related social inequity. In addition, we also found that most income inequality methods adapted from econometrics may be better suited to measuring transport-related social inequity between different regions, cities or countries, or within the same area, but at different points in time, rather than to measuring a single neighbourhood as a whole. Finally, we argue that to what extent politicians or transport planners can use appropriate management tools to measure transport-related social inequalities may be significant in terms of the progress that can be made in the fight against social inequity in the transport field.

This book reveals and discusses existing and potential problems derived from the transport econom... more This book reveals and discusses existing and potential problems derived from the transport economics domain in relation to their environment, and the social, political and economic impacts, with reference to a wide range of transport modes. It is suitable not only for academics or students, but also for people working in the transport industry. From this book, readers will learn how to apply economic principles to transport, drawing specifically upon a number of case studies of different areas of Great Britain. This book is particularly useful for those who are interested in the subject of transport economics, but may not have studied economics, statistics or mathematics.

UCL (University College London), 2019

In the transport context, social equity has not previously been treated as a significant issue by... more In the transport context, social equity has not previously been treated as a significant issue by most researchers, partly because the relationship between transport and social equity has not been fully understood. Social equity in itself is a difficult term to define, while it is still more challenging to quantify the contribution that transport investment might make to improving social equity. Four key findings are derived from the research analysis. First, it is revealed that there are high levels of composite car dependence and housing price vulnerability in many suburban areas across Greater London, not just the areas of social deprivation previously found mainly in East London. Second, it is found that there are statistically significant differences in terms of capabilities and functionings across the socio-demographic characteristics of individuals, such as gender, age, ethnic origin, marital status, incumbent population, employment, personal income, housing tenure, and car ownership; and also across different neighbourhoods in London. Third, the results show that functionings and capabilities differ according to an individual’s socio-economic characteristics and geographical location, meaning that both the opportunities to participate in life and also the actual activities themselves differ in the case of Beijing. This is an important distinction that the Capabilities Approach (CA) offers, and it is useful to consider if the potential for achieving improved social equity is to be realised. Finally, the findings show that socio-economic characteristics, travel factors, built environment features, and attitudes/perceived needs play significant roles in station area residents’ choice of transport mode, meaning that the results are mainly in line with previous studies, although some propensities associated with mode choice vary between London and Beijing. Factors relating to social equity are also taken into account and reveal a significant relationship with transport mode choice.

Mapping of 15-minute City Practices Overview on strategies, policies and implementation in Europe and beyond, 2024

In 2020, Paris’ mayor Anne Hidalgo embarked on a visionary campaign, promising to transform Paris... more In 2020, Paris’ mayor Anne Hidalgo embarked on a visionary campaign, promising to transform Paris into a 15-minute City. Far from fading, interest in this transformative concept has only intensified. Numerous cities have since joined the mission, aspiring to achieve sustainable mobility, inclusive transportation, and the creation of climate-neutral urban landscapes. The number of 15-minute Cities is continuously growing, making existing overview studies quickly outdated. Consequently, there remains a notable gap in understanding the intricate global landscape of practical definitions, strategies, instruments, implementation experiences, as well as the needs and challenges in research and innovation associated with the 15-minute city concept and its related policy domains.

With its 15-minute City Transition Pathway, the European partnership Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future (DUT) aims to address this knowledge gap. One of the main goals is the creation of a 15-minute City Innovation Portfolio, which will pool knowledge on strategies, policies, and other aspects of implementing the 15-minute City concept. The portfolio is to be expanded by more than 10 examples each year from 2025 onwards.

The 15-minute City mapping activity, which results we present here, is an important starting point that provides an initial overview for the Innovation Portfolio and analytical methods for collecting international experiences, tools, and practices in the following phases of the roadmap for the 15-minute City Transition Pathway. With the results of this project, we will lay the foundation for the development of the Innovation Portfolio and thus move the discussion of the 15-minute City more towards concrete aspects of practical implementation.

This report is structured into two main sections. Chapter 2 presents the outcomes of the extensive international study of 15-minute City practices. We showcase cities that have already implemented or are currently in the process of adopting 15mC policies, illustrating the diversity of approaches taken in Europe and worldwide. Following this, Chapter 3 offers six in-depth case studies of European cities, offering a detailed analysis of practical implementations of the 15mC paradigm.

These ‘Deep Dives’ will not only provide a nuanced overview of the policies but also critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their implementation, drawing from the firsthand experiences of the respective local planning practitioners. Finally, we present our findings into a summary of key learnings and offer policy recommendations for consideration in Chapter 4.