Examining neighborhood effects on residents’ daily activities in central Shanghai, China: Integrating “big data” and “thick data”

This research combines “big data” and “thick data” approaches to examine the correlation and causation between residential neighborhood features and people’s daily commuting and traveling patterns by integrating two datasets: household survey data and mobile phone data. We focus on “lilong” neighborhoods—a primary form of traditional residential neighborhood in central Shanghai. The characteristics of lilong neighborhoods are assessed using “thick data” from surveys in 105 lilongs, while residents’ daily activities are mapped out using “big data” from two weeks of mobile phone usage. We match these two datasets at neighborhood level based on their geospatial references. Four multinomial logistic regression models are developed to examine neighborhood effects on lilong residents’ daily activities. Our research confirms the major mechanisms of neighborhood effects and unravels their relative importance in shaping the patterns of residents’ daily activities. Conceptually, this study sheds new light on the understanding of how people’s life quality and wellbeing are affected by neighborhood characteristics through highlighting the importance of social interactions and the access to/quality of public facilities. Methodologically, incorporating household survey data (thick data) and mobile phone data (big data) is proven to be a novel and effective approach for examining neighborhood effects at a relatively large scale.