Concentration Patterns and Driving Factors of Urban Population Mobility in China

ABSTRACT

Population mobility serves as a critical carrier for resource factor allocation, contributing to global sustainable development. However, as population mobility trends towards complex networks, the application of spatiotemporal big data in the study of population mobility has not been fully explored. This study applies big data to analyze the spatial concentration patterns of urban population mobility in China. The structural features of the population mobility network are examined at both the national and urban agglomeration scales through complex network analysis. Furthermore, our study constructs an analytical framework to reveal the driving forces of population mobility. The results indicate that high‐intensity mobility is concentrated in central and eastern China, with Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou, and Shanghai emerging as population inflow centers. Population mobility networks exhibit structural complexity and demonstrate a polycentric spatial structure. Urban population mobility shows regional agglomeration characteristics, with population mobility clusters corresponding to the spatial boundaries of urban agglomerations. The traffic accessibility negatively affects population mobility, whereas economic development levels exert no significant influence. Within urban agglomerations characterized by increasingly functional linkages, strengthening regional integration and improving transportation accessibility are crucial strategies. Our study expands research on population mobility and provides valuable insights for the formulation of population policy.