Restrained mobility in a high-accessible and migrant-rich area in downtown Beijing
Abstract Purpose Immigrant travel has become an emerging research field in transportation planning. A handful of scholars have studied the travel behavior of residents in immigrant enclaves in North America. However, thus far, there has been no analysis of the travel behavior of residents living in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2017-12-01
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| Series: | European Transport Research Review |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12544-017-0278-0 |
| _version_ | 1819085574564216832 |
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| author | Shengxiao Li Pengjun Zhao |
| author_facet | Shengxiao Li Pengjun Zhao |
| author_sort | Shengxiao Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Purpose Immigrant travel has become an emerging research field in transportation planning. A handful of scholars have studied the travel behavior of residents in immigrant enclaves in North America. However, thus far, there has been no analysis of the travel behavior of residents living in migrant-rich neighborhoods in China. Additionally, previous studies rarely explored whether these (im)migrants could benefit from resources outside the neighborhoods, and the determinants of their travel to destinations outside the neighborhoods. This study aims to fill these research gaps in the literature. We used a migrant-rich area in downtown Beijing as a case study to understand the daily mobility and the determinants, and strategies to enhance mobility of neighborhood residents. Method To answer the above questions, in-depth interview in Dashilar was used in this study. Eighteen migrant workers were recruited by using snowball sampling, and six local residents were recruited as “observers” to view the mobility of migrant workers from another perspective. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed and coded. Results The research results show that the interviewees had restrained mobility, limited to the area within Dashilar. Their work location was near residence, and they seldom made recreation and social trips. One of the major reasons for this was that their social ties were highly restricted to people from the same hometown. Additionally, time and financial poverty further limited their mobility. Institutional barriers also segregated migrant workers with local people in job market, urban welfare and daily life. In order to improve physical mobility, migrant workers used electric bicycle as their daily travel facility. The use of mobile phone also improved their virtual mobility by facilitating information flow and extending social networks. Moreover, community initiatives such as community activities and volunteers helped to improve their mobility. Conclusions Dashilar is an area with abundant transport resources and activity destination choices, but migrant workers living there still restrained their daily travel within the neighborhood. Although resources within the neighborhood facilitated daily necessities of migrant workers living in Dashilar, they seldom benefited from the resources outside the neighborhood, which played a larger role in promoting their social and cultural assimilation in the city. Their limited local social ties, individual time and money constraints, and institutional factors all contributed to their limited destination motivations and aspirations. To cope with these challenges, migrant workers and communities both adopted several strategies. These strategies could address the above challenges to some extent, but their limitations also fixed mobility of migrant workers. Combination of Internet of mobile phone and community initiatives was a feasible way to link migrant workers and local people, and help them to improve enlarge mobility space. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:06:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b4eed73f954c4d4f8e2de4942754c33a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1867-0717 1866-8887 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:06:31Z |
| publishDate | 2017-12-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Transport Research Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-b4eed73f954c4d4f8e2de4942754c33a2022-12-21T18:50:17ZengSpringerOpenEuropean Transport Research Review1867-07171866-88872017-12-0110111710.1007/s12544-017-0278-0Restrained mobility in a high-accessible and migrant-rich area in downtown BeijingShengxiao Li0Pengjun Zhao1Department of Urban and Regional Planning, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking UniversityDepartment of Urban and Regional Planning, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking UniversityAbstract Purpose Immigrant travel has become an emerging research field in transportation planning. A handful of scholars have studied the travel behavior of residents in immigrant enclaves in North America. However, thus far, there has been no analysis of the travel behavior of residents living in migrant-rich neighborhoods in China. Additionally, previous studies rarely explored whether these (im)migrants could benefit from resources outside the neighborhoods, and the determinants of their travel to destinations outside the neighborhoods. This study aims to fill these research gaps in the literature. We used a migrant-rich area in downtown Beijing as a case study to understand the daily mobility and the determinants, and strategies to enhance mobility of neighborhood residents. Method To answer the above questions, in-depth interview in Dashilar was used in this study. Eighteen migrant workers were recruited by using snowball sampling, and six local residents were recruited as “observers” to view the mobility of migrant workers from another perspective. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed and coded. Results The research results show that the interviewees had restrained mobility, limited to the area within Dashilar. Their work location was near residence, and they seldom made recreation and social trips. One of the major reasons for this was that their social ties were highly restricted to people from the same hometown. Additionally, time and financial poverty further limited their mobility. Institutional barriers also segregated migrant workers with local people in job market, urban welfare and daily life. In order to improve physical mobility, migrant workers used electric bicycle as their daily travel facility. The use of mobile phone also improved their virtual mobility by facilitating information flow and extending social networks. Moreover, community initiatives such as community activities and volunteers helped to improve their mobility. Conclusions Dashilar is an area with abundant transport resources and activity destination choices, but migrant workers living there still restrained their daily travel within the neighborhood. Although resources within the neighborhood facilitated daily necessities of migrant workers living in Dashilar, they seldom benefited from the resources outside the neighborhood, which played a larger role in promoting their social and cultural assimilation in the city. Their limited local social ties, individual time and money constraints, and institutional factors all contributed to their limited destination motivations and aspirations. To cope with these challenges, migrant workers and communities both adopted several strategies. These strategies could address the above challenges to some extent, but their limitations also fixed mobility of migrant workers. Combination of Internet of mobile phone and community initiatives was a feasible way to link migrant workers and local people, and help them to improve enlarge mobility space.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12544-017-0278-0MobilitySocial networkMigrant workerMobile phoneBeijing |
| spellingShingle | Shengxiao Li Pengjun Zhao Restrained mobility in a high-accessible and migrant-rich area in downtown Beijing European Transport Research Review Mobility Social network Migrant worker Mobile phone Beijing |
| title | Restrained mobility in a high-accessible and migrant-rich area in downtown Beijing |
| title_full | Restrained mobility in a high-accessible and migrant-rich area in downtown Beijing |
| title_fullStr | Restrained mobility in a high-accessible and migrant-rich area in downtown Beijing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Restrained mobility in a high-accessible and migrant-rich area in downtown Beijing |
| title_short | Restrained mobility in a high-accessible and migrant-rich area in downtown Beijing |
| title_sort | restrained mobility in a high accessible and migrant rich area in downtown beijing |
| topic | Mobility Social network Migrant worker Mobile phone Beijing |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12544-017-0278-0 |
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