Detecting Urban Dynamics with Taxi Trip Data for Evaluation and Optimizing of Spatial Planning:The Example of Xiamen City, China

Commonly, it is very hard to examine underlying urban dynamics due to rapid spatial expansion and land use variations. In this paper, the origin-destination (OD) data extracted from taxi trip data collected in Xiamen, China, covering 30 days was utilized to detect the underlying dynamics of Xiamen City. Specifically, we discretized the study area into 400m*400m grids so that the number of originating points and destination points of the taxi trips could be counted separately within each single grid. Then, heat maps of the taxi mobility were made to achieve a general understanding of urban dynamics. Secondly, we took advantage of the concept of complex networks to analyze the daily taxi trip data. Using a method of community detection, we divided the study area into six main sub-regions called functional self-sufficient zones (FSZs) in which spatial associations are tight and dense. The features of these FSZs helped us to gain a deeper understanding of urban dynamics. Finally, based on this understanding, we further evaluated and optimized the urban spatial planning of Xiamen. Balancing land use allocation was suggested to enhance the multicentric structure and reduce congestion. This study provides a relevant contribution by exploring the potential of applying taxi trip data to identify urban dynamics revelations and urban planning optimization solutions

Prioritizing future funding and construction of the planned high-speed rail corridors of China – According to regional structure and urban land development potential indices

Abstract(#br)This paper proposes two types of indices to prioritize the future funding and construction of the planned high-speed rail (HSR) corridors of China. The first index is the regional structure index that evaluates the performance of an HSR corridor from the perspective of spatial connectivity and accessibility, and it consists of regional structure factors (e.g., corridor length and buffer area) and coverage factors (e.g., the total number of HSR stations, cities, and people within the service domain of the HSR corridor). The second index is the urban land development potential index that assesses an HSR corridor depending on the corridor’s potential effect on the promotion of urban land development. Following China’s latest national railway network planning proposal, planned HSR corridors are prioritized using these two indices. The rankings obtained according to these two indices are presented and compared in this paper. The prioritization of results is then used to suggest patterns of future funding and construction for China’s HSR corridors and, further, to suggest potential implications for HSR planning and development in other countries

Simulation-based robust optimization for the schedule of single-direction bus transit route: The design of experiment

In this paper, the design of experiment (DOE) technique is used to formulate the robust schedule for the single-direction transit route. Factors affecting transit schedule performance are classified into two categories: the controllable and the uncontrollable. With Taguchi design method, these two types of factors are crossed mutually to carry out the Monte Carlo simulation to obtain the expected and variance values of the total schedule deviation. Next, two Kriging metamodels are fitted to describe relationships between controllable factors and the total transit schedule deviation. Based on these Kriging metamodels, the Pareto-optimal solution of the robust transit schedule is obtained

Evaluating the urban land use plan with transit accessibility

This study proposes a measure to evaluate the urban land use plan with transit accessibility, more specifically, the spatial accessibility of transit stations. The spatial accessibility of transit stations is measured with the number of effective reachable grids, and the influence of transfer on reduction in spatial accessibility is considered. A geographically weighted regression model is used to determine the correlation between transit accessibility and urban land use characteristics. Moreover, the methodology is applied to Xiamen, China and the corresponding results demonstrate the usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Researchers can adopt the proposed approach to evaluate urban land use plan, particularly in transit-dominated and car-lite contexts

Special Issue on “Infrastructure and Transportation Planning”

Transportation and infrastructure are the most crucial components which affect the development and renewal of cities and regions. The results of infrastructure and transportation planning not only take effect on the accessibility of an urban area, but also, it determines the livability of the whole city (Krizek & Levinson, 2005). Recently, new technologies, concepts and practical means have largely emerged in infrastructure and transportation planning, such as: “Big Data,” “Large scale model” and “old-community planning (Cunliang Guihua in Chinese)”. These concepts and tools almost reversed the traditional knowledge system and operating mode of urban planning, which has prompted us to carry out the necessary research and work to adapt to these changes (Vlahogianni, Park, & van Lint, 2015). On the other hand, we should still attach importance to the traditional knowledge and practical means by applying them to the new problems arising in the urban planning process today. Consequently, in this special issue, we study new concepts such as the “Big data” in the life-circle community determination, policy instruments on the new energy vehicle industry, and others. Moreover, we also pay attention to the change of urban planning law and survey technology on urban transportation hubs

Transit accessibility for commuters considering the demand elasticities of distance and transfer

In this paper, a “by transit accessibility (BTA)” measure to evaluate the impacts of travel distance and transfer tolerance on the convenience of commuting by transit on a regional scale is proposed. Considering the spatiotemporal factors for commuting efficiency evaluation, the timetable-dependent passenger carrying capacity of the transit station and the time-varying passenger demand at originating sites have been formulated into the BTA model. Moreover, the proposed BTA measure could reflect the commuting trip demand elasticity, which is caused by travel distance and transfer tolerance. In the meantime, this BTA measure can provide an important basis for transit timetable adjustment in the study area during different time periods. The proposed measure is tested on a small transit network to display its function, and finally, it is applied to an empirical case to draw practical findings

Measuring the expected locational accessibility of urban transit network for commuting trips

This paper focuses on measuring of the expected locational accessibility (ELA) of urban transit networks for commuters. The ELA of the transit network is measured by a factor named expected locational accessibility index (ELAI), which is calculated based on the expected number of reachable stations with different times of transfers (ENRST) starting from any one transit station on the network. Two approaches, the sample-test-statistics method and the topological analysis method for determining the ENRST are proposed and tested with an example transit network. Finally, the proposed methods are applied to an empirical study for evaluating the ELA performance of bus transit network for commuters of Xiamen City, China. The empirical results show that the ELAI obtained by our two methods are relatively smaller than those obtained by the existing methods. The reason is analyzed to guarantee the accuracy of ELAI measurement

Transit-oriented development: Literature review and evaluation of TOD potential across 50 Chinese cities

Transit-oriented development (TOD) has been widely accepted in recent years as an important urban development policy. This article reviews the existing TOD literature pertinent to conditions in China, introduces TOD practices in China, and evaluates land development impacts of TOD across 50 Chinese cities that either have metro systems already or expect to have operating metro systems by 2020. The evaluation analysis contributes to the existing literature because most research on TOD in Chinese cities has focused on large, national or provincial capitals such as Beijing, Shanghai, and/or Guangzhou. Based on simulation analysis, we evaluate TOD’s land development impacts across all Chinese cities that are expected to have metro systems by 2020. Our results show that the second- as well as the third-class cities of China will have more potential for TOD implementation than the first-class cities in the next five years

Accessibility-Based Equity of Public Facilities: a Case Study in Xiamen, China

China's rapid economic development has led to inequality in terms of property, education, and health. Equal access to basic public facilities has become a key concern of inclusive development policies. However, previous studies have paid little attention to the effects of different travel modes on the accessibility of basic public facilities. The present research fills this gap. Taking Xiamen city as a case study, it explores the degrees of horizontal and vertical equity by examining the accessibility of various basic public facilities, paying attention to different travel modes and travel times. The results for Xiamen city show that disadvantaged groups experience a greater level of inequity. By taking these aspects into account, one is better equipped to identify areas in the city where access to basic public facilities is in need of substantial improvement

Accessibility-Based Equity of Public Facilities: a Case Study in Xiamen, China

China's rapid economic development has led to inequality in terms of property, education, and health. Equal access to basic public facilities has become a key concern of inclusive development policies. However, previous studies have paid little attention to the effects of different travel modes on the accessibility of basic public facilities. The present research fills this gap. Taking Xiamen city as a case study, it explores the degrees of horizontal and vertical equity by examining the accessibility of various basic public facilities, paying attention to different travel modes and travel times. The results for Xiamen city show that disadvantaged groups experience a greater level of inequity. By taking these aspects into account, one is better equipped to identify areas in the city where access to basic public facilities is in need of substantial improvement