Unveiling the Neighborhood Effect Averaging Problem: The Role of Daily Mobility in Shaping Built-Environment Quality Exposure

Equal exposure to quality-built environments fosters livable, inclusive cities. The neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP) suggests that daily mobility plays a crucial role in shaping environmental exposure. This study aims to unveil the NEAP in built-environment quality exposure. Street-view image data and mobile phone signaling data are coupled to measure built-environment quality in people’s residential space and activity space. Subsequently, a conditional process analysis model is employed to investigate how daily mobility, income, and built-environment quality in residential space influence built-environment quality in activity space. The results indicate that (1) there is a significant disparity in built-environment quality exposure, although the disparity in activity space is smaller than that in residence; (2) income exerts a dual influence on built-environment quality in activity space through direct and indirect pathways, and the pathways could be moderated by high mobility; and (3) neighborhood effect averaging is evident at the individual level and manifests as a derived phenomenon associated with income groups. The findings provide insights for better serving environmental equality.