PhD defence: Space-time Dynamics in Transitional Urban China: Shifting Daily Behaviours in Suburban Beijing

This dissertation examines Beijing's urban and social development through the dynamics of individual space-time behaviour, aiming to integrate this perspective into Chinese urban research and planning. It investigates how transformations in spatial and institutional contexts influence the daily activities of Beijing's residents. 

The analysis explores the impact of urban transitions on residents' time use, activity patterns, space-time fixity, and accessibility. Using activity-travel survey and POI data from 2007 and 2017, and employing various statistical models, the analysis considers the effects of the built environment, institutional factors, and individual attributes. 

The empirical results of this dissertation highlight that urban expansion and suburbanization in Beijing have increased commuting time, reducing time for non-work activities. Residents' daily patterns have diversified, with growing disparities between different housing groups. Socioeconomic attributes now exert greater influence on behavior, while institutional factors like the danwei and hukou systems are declining in impact. In contrast, gender differences remain significant across time use, activity distance, and perceived space-time constraints. 

The research also concludes that daily behaviours are shaped by the interplay between personal life stages and evolving geographic- and institutional contexts. It recommends that policymakers and planners prioritize these individual and group-based differences in space-time constraints to address social inequities during China’s urban transformation.