Evolving residential and employment locations and patterns of commuting under hyper growth: The case of Guangzhou, China

Si Ming LI*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

41 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Chinese cities have experienced rapid growth and restructuring in recent times. This paper examines the evolving residential and employment locations and the changes in the patterns of commuting in Guangzhou, China. Tabulations derived from household surveys conducted in 2001 and 2005 show rapid suburbanisation of both residence and employment. Intrazone traffic today dominates the commuting scene in both the central core and the suburbs. The mean commute distance and mean commute time have increased, but the increases are quite modest. Estimation of residential and employment density gradients reveals differential decentralisation of different population groups. Multivariate analysis indicates that commute distance generally increases with income and occupational status. Males in Guangzhou used to have appreciably shorter commutes than females; but the difference has decreased in recent years, suggesting convergence in commuting behaviour between the Chinese and Western cases.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1643-1661
Number of pages19
JournalUrban Studies
Volume47
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2010

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
  • Urban Studies

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