IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v150y2024icp149-161.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The 2-month lockdown and commuting behavior transformation in Shanghai: A phone signal data-based analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Xiao, Weiye
  • Li, Han
  • Yuan, Feng
  • Chen, Wen

Abstract

Research on COVID-19's influence on urban mobility often compares pre-pandemic patterns with those during or post-pandemic, emphasizing the decline due to lockdowns and recovery after vaccinations. However, the pandemic's impact on urban mobility and commuting trends, extending beyond the virus's immediate presence, is multifaceted, particularly considering its three-year span and diverse lockdown policies. Our study delves deeper into the effects of Shanghai's 2-month lockdown in 2022, from early April to end of May. Leveraging granular phone signal data, we meticulously compared and analyzed the geospatial dynamics of commuting between May 2021 and July 2022. Our findings revealed a notable contraction in commuting distances. Regions previously characterized by extensive long-distance commuting lost their allure post-lockdown. Intriguingly, administrative boundaries emerged as new impediments to commuting, an outcome that cannot be solely attributed to COVID-19 apprehensions. The empirical evidence suggests the possibility of a structural change in the commuting behavior of people in Shanghai, which is unlikely to be a consequence of the virus itself and more a result of stringent and arguably excessive lockdown protocols.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiao, Weiye & Li, Han & Yuan, Feng & Chen, Wen, 2024. "The 2-month lockdown and commuting behavior transformation in Shanghai: A phone signal data-based analysis," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 149-161.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:150:y:2024:i:c:p:149-161
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2024.03.011
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X24000830
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2024.03.011?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:150:y:2024:i:c:p:149-161. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.