What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to create a framework for assessing and improving the vitality of walkable neighborhoods in urban areas.

May 13, 2026Open Access

Delineating Dynamic-Static Coupled Living Circles: Diagnosing Walkable Vitality for Targeted Urban Renewal—A Case Study of Baohe District, Hefei, China

Key Points

The study aims to create a framework for assessing and improving the vitality of walkable neighborhoods in urban areas.
Constructed static service catchments using POI and road network data.
Refined with one week's mobile phone signaling data calibrated to actual walking behavior.
Developed a dual-index system (FVI and PVI) to assess neighborhood vitality.
Only 27.3% of living circles achieved high vitality in both dimensions (FVI and PVI).
61.5% of circles exhibited low or very low vitality, indicating a pattern of service poverty.
High-vitality circles clustered along Binhu New District, while low-vitality areas concentrated in industrial parks.

Abstract

In response to environmental degradation and social inequities exacerbated by automobile-dependent urban sprawl, this study proposes a framework for dynamic delineation and vitality assessment of 15-min walkable neighborhoods, using Baohe District, Hefei, China as a case study. Static service catchments were constructed using POI and road network data, then refined using one week’s mobile phone signaling trajectories calibrated to actual walking behavior, yielding 143 validated living circles (out of 156 initially delineated). These circles are classified into five typologies: commercial-residential, industrial-residential, educational-residential, predominantly residential, and public-service-oriented. A dual-index system—Facility Vitality Index (FVI) and Population Vitality Index (PVI)—is developed and synthesized into a Composite Vitality Index (VI) through normalization and weighting. Results show that only 27.3% of living circles achieve high vitality in both dimensions, indicating widespread service–demand misalignment. Conversely, 61.5% exhibit low or very low vitality, forming a “vitality depression” around the urban periphery—a pattern of service poverty with significant socioeconomic implications. High-vitality circles cluster along the Binhu New District corridor, while low-vitality circles concentrate in industrial parks (e.g., Feinan Industrial Park) and transport hubs (e.g., Hefei South Railway Station). The historic core lacks micro-infrastructures, whereas new districts—despite high-standard amenities—suffer from weak pedestrian activity. To address these deficiencies, we propose a differentiated zoning strategy: retrofitting micro-infrastructures in legacy neighborhoods, applying Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) principles in new urban extensions, and integrating community-serving functions within industrial peripheries. This framework provides actionable protocols for data-informed governance of 15-min living circles.

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