Pub Date : 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106792
Menglin Liu , Ang Liu
Housing constitutes one of the most significant assets for ordinary citizens in China, yet its political implications remain underexplored. Existing political economy theories, largely developed in democratic contexts, predict that property ownership reduces support for redistribution. This study examines whether these expectations hold in China by analyzing the heterogeneous effects of homeownership on policy support for policies related to redistribution. Using nationally representative survey data and combining matching techniques with instrumental variable analysis, we find that homeownership increases support for policies related to redistribution. This positive effect is significantly stronger among employees of state-owned enterprises than among private-sector workers. Mediation analysis further suggests that this relationship operates through channels including family wealth, perceptions of inequality, and marital status. These findings challenge dominant asset-based theories of redistribution and demonstrate that the political consequences of homeownership are fundamentally shaped by institutional context. More broadly, the study highlights how housing functions not only as an economic asset but also as a socio-political mechanism through which states mediate welfare expectations and social stability.
{"title":"Homeownership and preferences for government redistribution in China: Mediating roles of employment sector and socioeconomic perceptions","authors":"Menglin Liu , Ang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106792","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106792","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Housing constitutes one of the most significant assets for ordinary citizens in China, yet its political implications remain underexplored. Existing political economy theories, largely developed in democratic contexts, predict that property ownership reduces support for redistribution. This study examines whether these expectations hold in China by analyzing the heterogeneous effects of homeownership on policy support for policies related to redistribution. Using nationally representative survey data and combining matching techniques with instrumental variable analysis, we find that homeownership increases support for policies related to redistribution. This positive effect is significantly stronger among employees of state-owned enterprises than among private-sector workers. Mediation analysis further suggests that this relationship operates through channels including family wealth, perceptions of inequality, and marital status. These findings challenge dominant asset-based theories of redistribution and demonstrate that the political consequences of homeownership are fundamentally shaped by institutional context. More broadly, the study highlights how housing functions not only as an economic asset but also as a socio-political mechanism through which states mediate welfare expectations and social stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106792"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106787
Eunkyung Lee , Juhyun Lee , Hyungchul Chung , Yang Lu
With the advancement of autonomous driving and sharing solutions, future mobility is expected to offer a multi-faceted experience, connecting individuals to their built environments and communities. Ensuring an equitable and smooth transition amid technological and societal uncertainties is a key challenge. This interdisciplinary study seeks to develop a nuanced understanding of the heterogeneous needs of urban residents through segmentation based on their preferences across four possible future mobility situations in two pioneering Chinese cities: Shanghai, a global innovation hub, and Suzhou, a strategic satellite city. Moving beyond traditional adoption-focused models, we emphasize users' anticipated broader benefits of future mobility, especially relating to quality of life. Based on a previous study identifying preferences and perceptions on future mobility, we conducted two separate cluster analyses of responses from 1968 participants. The results revealed that user heterogeneity transcends conventional models, with segments prioritizing privacy, economic pragmatism, or technological enthusiasm, most of which preferred the most transformative mobility future (shared autonomous vehicles). Shanghai's dense, transit-rich environment fosters greater acceptance of shared automated mobility among affluent users, while Suzhou's decentralized structure and dispersed land use produced a unique additional segment of Tech-Aspiring Public Transit Riders. This study underscores the imperative for human-centric, context-sensitive approaches to mobility planning that critically account for user heterogeneity and local urban characteristics. Future mobility may foster societies that are as inclusive as they are innovative.
{"title":"Anticipation of urban mobility futures beyond adoption: User segmentation across scenarios in two pioneering Chinese cities","authors":"Eunkyung Lee , Juhyun Lee , Hyungchul Chung , Yang Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106787","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106787","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the advancement of autonomous driving and sharing solutions, future mobility is expected to offer a multi-faceted experience, connecting individuals to their built environments and communities. Ensuring an equitable and smooth transition amid technological and societal uncertainties is a key challenge. This interdisciplinary study seeks to develop a nuanced understanding of the heterogeneous needs of urban residents through segmentation based on their preferences across four possible future mobility situations in two pioneering Chinese cities: Shanghai, a global innovation hub, and Suzhou, a strategic satellite city. Moving beyond traditional adoption-focused models, we emphasize users' anticipated broader benefits of future mobility, especially relating to quality of life. Based on a previous study identifying preferences and perceptions on future mobility, we conducted two separate cluster analyses of responses from 1968 participants. The results revealed that user heterogeneity transcends conventional models, with segments prioritizing privacy, economic pragmatism, or technological enthusiasm, most of which preferred the most transformative mobility future (shared autonomous vehicles). Shanghai's dense, transit-rich environment fosters greater acceptance of shared automated mobility among affluent users, while Suzhou's decentralized structure and dispersed land use produced a unique additional segment of <em>Tech-Aspiring Public Transit Riders</em>. This study underscores the imperative for human-centric, context-sensitive approaches to mobility planning that critically account for user heterogeneity and local urban characteristics. Future mobility may foster societies that are as inclusive as they are innovative.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106787"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106784
Sheeja Krishnakumar
Street vendors sell goods or services in public spaces, playing a significant role in urban economies by providing convenient products to consumers. This paper focuses on the socio-economic, working conditions, psychological, and official support for street vendors after the pandemic through the lens of the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. The paper analyses the responses from 302 street vendors in selected residential and commercial places in Bangalore, India. For doing business confidently, proper working conditions and official support are significant compared to social, economic, psychological, and family functioning aspects is confirmed through this study. From the analysis, the confidence to do street vending is possible through the support from officials and good working conditions that contribute to street vendors' psychological well-being. Hence, as per the COR theory, official support and adequate working conditions inhibit further resource depletion and stimulate resource gain phases, improving psychological well-being.
{"title":"Street vendors in the post-COVID-19 era: A conservation of resources theory perspective","authors":"Sheeja Krishnakumar","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106784","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106784","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Street vendors sell goods or services in public spaces, playing a significant role in urban economies by providing convenient products to consumers. This paper focuses on the socio-economic, working conditions, psychological, and official support for street vendors after the pandemic through the lens of the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. The paper analyses the responses from 302 street vendors in selected residential and commercial places in Bangalore, India. For doing business confidently, proper working conditions and official support are significant compared to social, economic, psychological, and family functioning aspects is confirmed through this study. From the analysis, the confidence to do street vending is possible through the support from officials and good working conditions that contribute to street vendors' psychological well-being. Hence, as per the COR theory, official support and adequate working conditions inhibit further resource depletion and stimulate resource gain phases, improving psychological well-being.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106784"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106780
Lin Chen , Kaiqing Huo , Eddie Chi-Man Hui , Haitao Du
While there has been a proliferation of literature on housing precarity in recent years, less attention has been paid to the development of the Housing Precarity Index (HPI) and the comparison of levels of housing precarity between the public and private rented sectors. To address these gaps, this article draws on data from the 2019 Guangzhou Housing Survey and introduces a novel approach to developing the Housing Precarity Index (HPI) by integrating six dimensions: perceived tenure security, housing affordability, housing quality, commuting, access to public education and healthcare, and access to surrounding living facilities. Using robust quantitative methods, this article disentangles the relationship between rental types and the magnitude of housing precarity, as well as the role of hukou in this relationship. Research results indicate that access to public rental housing can alleviate housing precarity for young, low- and middle-income renters compared to private renting. Furthermore, hukou status does not moderate the relationship between rental types and housing precarity. The experiences of housing precarity among young low- and middle-income renters in China are likely to be mirrored in other developing countries, particularly those with similar housing systems. This article calls for future research on housing precarity in developing countries.
{"title":"Does access to public rental housing alleviate housing precarity among young low- and middle-income renters? Evidence from Guangzhou, China","authors":"Lin Chen , Kaiqing Huo , Eddie Chi-Man Hui , Haitao Du","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106780","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106780","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While there has been a proliferation of literature on housing precarity in recent years, less attention has been paid to the development of the Housing Precarity Index (HPI) and the comparison of levels of housing precarity between the public and private rented sectors. To address these gaps, this article draws on data from the 2019 Guangzhou Housing Survey and introduces a novel approach to developing the Housing Precarity Index (HPI) by integrating six dimensions: perceived tenure security, housing affordability, housing quality, commuting, access to public education and healthcare, and access to surrounding living facilities. Using robust quantitative methods, this article disentangles the relationship between rental types and the magnitude of housing precarity, as well as the role of hukou in this relationship. Research results indicate that access to public rental housing can alleviate housing precarity for young, low- and middle-income renters compared to private renting. Furthermore, hukou status does not moderate the relationship between rental types and housing precarity. The experiences of housing precarity among young low- and middle-income renters in China are likely to be mirrored in other developing countries, particularly those with similar housing systems. This article calls for future research on housing precarity in developing countries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106780"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146038045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106794
Xize Wang , Ke Song , Qiong Liu , Ou Minghao , Lin Fang , Yanjun Liu
This paper examines the interdependent politics of policymaking through the lens of policy movement, conceptualizing it as a relation-based process embedded in shifting political-economic contexts. Focusing on housing purchase restrictions (HPR) in China, we model intercity HPR linkages to identify their network patterns and relational mechanisms across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), Yangtze River Delta (YRD), and Pearl River Delta (PRD) megalopolitan areas from 2016 to 2023. Four main findings emerge. First, shifting national political-economic priorities foreground HPR linkages: delegated local discretion after 2016 has encouraged widespread HPR movement, whereas the post-2021 stabilization mandate has systematically dismantled these linkages. Second, reflecting this shift, the evolution of intercity HPR linkages follows a shared inverted U-shaped trajectory. Third, hierarchical relations remain a defining feature of linkage patterns despite emergent network tendencies: the BTH and YRD linkages exhibit strong concentration around core cities, while the PRD maintains a comparatively polycentric structure. Fourth, inertia and context-contingent relational mechanisms jointly govern this evolution. Temporally, inertia is punctuated by critical turning points in 2016 and 2021 that reset dominant relational logics of linkage formation. Spatially, geographical proximity endures but is increasingly overshadowed by non-geographical relations, especially regional leadership exercised either administratively or economically. These findings refine theoretical understanding of interdependent policymaking under fragmented authoritarianism and provide practical insights for more coherent regional housing governance.
{"title":"Tracking interdependent policymaking: Intercity linkages and driving mechanisms of housing purchase restriction policy in China's three major megalopolitan areas","authors":"Xize Wang , Ke Song , Qiong Liu , Ou Minghao , Lin Fang , Yanjun Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106794","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106794","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines the interdependent politics of policymaking through the lens of policy movement, conceptualizing it as a relation-based process embedded in shifting political-economic contexts. Focusing on housing purchase restrictions (HPR) in China, we model intercity HPR linkages to identify their network patterns and relational mechanisms across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), Yangtze River Delta (YRD), and Pearl River Delta (PRD) megalopolitan areas from 2016 to 2023. Four main findings emerge. First, shifting national political-economic priorities foreground HPR linkages: delegated local discretion after 2016 has encouraged widespread HPR movement, whereas the post-2021 stabilization mandate has systematically dismantled these linkages. Second, reflecting this shift, the evolution of intercity HPR linkages follows a shared inverted U-shaped trajectory. Third, hierarchical relations remain a defining feature of linkage patterns despite emergent network tendencies: the BTH and YRD linkages exhibit strong concentration around core cities, while the PRD maintains a comparatively polycentric structure. Fourth, inertia and context-contingent relational mechanisms jointly govern this evolution. Temporally, inertia is punctuated by critical turning points in 2016 and 2021 that reset dominant relational logics of linkage formation. Spatially, geographical proximity endures but is increasingly overshadowed by non-geographical relations, especially regional leadership exercised either administratively or economically. These findings refine theoretical understanding of interdependent policymaking under fragmented authoritarianism and provide practical insights for more coherent regional housing governance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106794"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106771
Putu Indah Adnyani , Donghyun Kim , Gi-Hyoug Cho
Shrinking cities often mask stark intra-urban disparities, yet conventional socioeconomic data seldom capture the subtle environmental cues that shape residents' daily experience. This study measures how neighborhood-level visual perception evolves in Miryang, a small declining city in South Korea, and how those perceptions are capitalized into housing prices. We assemble a longitudinal panel of street view images from 2016 and 2023, apply a pre-trained Place Pulse deep-learning model to score six perceptual attributes (safety, beauty, liveliness, wealth, boredom and depression), and link the resulting measures to 1799 housing transactions through hedonic price models that control for structural, locational and temporal factors.
The analysis reveals two intertwined patterns. First, perceived safety, beauty and liveliness improved or held steady in the historic center but deteriorated across many peripheral streets, accentuating a long-standing core–periphery divide. Second, the housing market rewarded positive perceptual change in the center, yet showed little response where perceptions darkened, leaving vulnerable districts without either improved surroundings or compensating wealth effects.
These findings demonstrate the value of integrating computer-vision perception metrics with property data to provide planners with a timely, low-cost diagnostic of neighborhood appeal. Targeting streets where perceptual decline is deepest and market signals are weakest could prevent demographic shrinkage from further entrenching spatial inequality.
{"title":"Shrinking on the margins: Spatial inequality in neighborhood perceptions and housing prices","authors":"Putu Indah Adnyani , Donghyun Kim , Gi-Hyoug Cho","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106771","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106771","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Shrinking cities often mask stark intra-urban disparities, yet conventional socioeconomic data seldom capture the subtle environmental cues that shape residents' daily experience. This study measures how neighborhood-level visual perception evolves in Miryang, a small declining city in South Korea, and how those perceptions are capitalized into housing prices. We assemble a longitudinal panel of street view images from 2016 and 2023, apply a pre-trained Place Pulse deep-learning model to score six perceptual attributes (safety, beauty, liveliness, wealth, boredom and depression), and link the resulting measures to 1799 housing transactions through hedonic price models that control for structural, locational and temporal factors.</div><div>The analysis reveals two intertwined patterns. First, perceived safety, beauty and liveliness improved or held steady in the historic center but deteriorated across many peripheral streets, accentuating a long-standing core–periphery divide. Second, the housing market rewarded positive perceptual change in the center, yet showed little response where perceptions darkened, leaving vulnerable districts without either improved surroundings or compensating wealth effects.</div><div>These findings demonstrate the value of integrating computer-vision perception metrics with property data to provide planners with a timely, low-cost diagnostic of neighborhood appeal. Targeting streets where perceptual decline is deepest and market signals are weakest could prevent demographic shrinkage from further entrenching spatial inequality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106771"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106730
Áxel De León Marcos , Víctor Quesada-Cubo
This mixed-methods study explores how the urban environment influences self-perceived health, with particular attention to the generational differences that became evident during and after the COVID-19 pandemic call for urban planning strategies that respond to all dimensions of health. The research was carried out in a medium-sized Spanish city, combining qualitative data from 27 in-depth interviews and quantitative survey responses from 185 residents across neighbourhoods with varying environmental characteristics. Although the study initially focused on built environment factors such as green space access, walkability, and infrastructure quality, the qualitative findings showed that mental health—especially among younger participants—emerged as a central factor shaping health perceptions. Feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and confinement were frequently described by younger respondents, often tied to perceptions of spatial and social marginalization in their living environments. In contrast, older participants reported greater resilience and a more positive outlook on their health. These findings highlight the need to address mental health disparities within urban policy and underscore the importance of creating inclusive, equitable environments that support psychological well-being across age groups. The study demonstrates the value of allowing emergent themes to guide mixed-methods research and points to the need for urban planning strategies that integrate improvements in the physical environment with attention to the emotional experiences of residents, particularly in post-pandemic settings.
{"title":"Impact of the urban environment on self-perception of health in a medium-sized European city: A mixed-methods study","authors":"Áxel De León Marcos , Víctor Quesada-Cubo","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106730","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106730","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This mixed-methods study explores how the urban environment influences self-perceived health, with particular attention to the generational differences that became evident during and after the COVID-19 pandemic call for urban planning strategies that respond to all dimensions of health. The research was carried out in a medium-sized Spanish city, combining qualitative data from 27 in-depth interviews and quantitative survey responses from 185 residents across neighbourhoods with varying environmental characteristics. Although the study initially focused on built environment factors such as green space access, walkability, and infrastructure quality, the qualitative findings showed that mental health—especially among younger participants—emerged as a central factor shaping health perceptions. Feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and confinement were frequently described by younger respondents, often tied to perceptions of spatial and social marginalization in their living environments. In contrast, older participants reported greater resilience and a more positive outlook on their health. These findings highlight the need to address mental health disparities within urban policy and underscore the importance of creating inclusive, equitable environments that support psychological well-being across age groups. The study demonstrates the value of allowing emergent themes to guide mixed-methods research and points to the need for urban planning strategies that integrate improvements in the physical environment with attention to the emotional experiences of residents, particularly in post-pandemic settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106730"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146038008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106785
Sunyoung Lee, Jangik Jin
Homeownership is widely recognized as a key determinant of individual happiness; however, previous research has shown mixed results regarding its effects. This study investigates the relationship between homeownership and happiness in Korea, with a focus on temporal dynamics and spatial variation. Utilizing panel data from the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS) from 2009 to 2023, we apply a panel event study model to analyze the anticipation, short-term, adaptation, and long-term effects of homeownership. The findings reveal three key insights. First, homeownership leads to a significant short-term increase in happiness, peaking immediately after acquisition but gradually declining over time due to hedonic adaptation. Second, the happiness effects vary by housing type and size: apartment (APT) ownership is associated with the highest average happiness, and transitions from non-apartments to apartments generate the most substantial gains. Notably, both upsizing and downsizing are linked to increased happiness, except in rural areas, suggesting that ownership itself plays a more critical role than size alone. Third, spatial differences are evident; homeownership enhances happiness in urban areas, including both the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) and non-SMA regions, but has no statistically significant effect in rural areas. These results suggest the importance of considering spatial context and housing characteristics in designing housing policy. In particular, policy efforts should aim to support the long-term emotional well-being of homeowners by tailoring strategies to regional conditions and addressing the varied needs of different housing types and household preferences.
{"title":"Does homeownership increase happiness? Empirical evidence from Korean Labor and Income Panel Study Data","authors":"Sunyoung Lee, Jangik Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106785","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106785","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Homeownership is widely recognized as a key determinant of individual happiness; however, previous research has shown mixed results regarding its effects. This study investigates the relationship between homeownership and happiness in Korea, with a focus on temporal dynamics and spatial variation. Utilizing panel data from the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS) from 2009 to 2023, we apply a panel event study model to analyze the anticipation, short-term, adaptation, and long-term effects of homeownership. The findings reveal three key insights. First, homeownership leads to a significant short-term increase in happiness, peaking immediately after acquisition but gradually declining over time due to hedonic adaptation. Second, the happiness effects vary by housing type and size: apartment (APT) ownership is associated with the highest average happiness, and transitions from non-apartments to apartments generate the most substantial gains. Notably, both upsizing and downsizing are linked to increased happiness, except in rural areas, suggesting that ownership itself plays a more critical role than size alone. Third, spatial differences are evident; homeownership enhances happiness in urban areas, including both the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) and non-SMA regions, but has no statistically significant effect in rural areas. These results suggest the importance of considering spatial context and housing characteristics in designing housing policy. In particular, policy efforts should aim to support the long-term emotional well-being of homeowners by tailoring strategies to regional conditions and addressing the varied needs of different housing types and household preferences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106785"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146038006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106795
Yi Li , Nicholas A. Phelps , Guoliang Xu
This study examines the modalities of recent city regionalism, initiated by secondary cities, in post-reform China. Academic and policy discourse has centred on the emergence of, and state rescaling for, global city regions. However, the role and strategizing of secondary cities within their respective city regions have often been overlooked. This study fills a gap by examining city regionalism from the ‘outside in’, focusing on secondary city authorities' strategies to reap the benefits of agglomeration and buffer the effects of marginalization by mobilizing cross boundary development opportunities. Based on fieldwork, we identified three types of cross boundary developments: new towns, industrial parks, and innovation enclaves. The regionalization strategies and partnership programs launched by secondary cities highlight how they identify and exploit niches within city regions. This article notes how future research can pay more attention to the agency of secondary cities and the emergence and characteristics of inter-urban places within city regions.
{"title":"Secondary city regionalism: China's cross boundary development projects","authors":"Yi Li , Nicholas A. Phelps , Guoliang Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106795","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106795","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the modalities of recent city regionalism, initiated by secondary cities, in post-reform China. Academic and policy discourse has centred on the emergence of, and state rescaling for, global city regions. However, the role and strategizing of secondary cities within their respective city regions have often been overlooked. This study fills a gap by examining city regionalism from the ‘outside in’, focusing on secondary city authorities' strategies to reap the benefits of agglomeration and buffer the effects of marginalization by mobilizing cross boundary development opportunities. Based on fieldwork, we identified three types of cross boundary developments: new towns, industrial parks, and innovation enclaves. The regionalization strategies and partnership programs launched by secondary cities highlight how they identify and exploit niches within city regions. This article notes how future research can pay more attention to the agency of secondary cities and the emergence and characteristics of inter-urban places within city regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106795"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146038007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106797
Ionuț Nica , Camelia Delcea , Ștefan Ionescu
In this study, we examine how the concepts of the “15 Minute City” and “Smart City Technologies” intersect, highlighting their importance in promoting urban sustainability and digital transformation. A bibliometric analysis was carried out for this purpose, using the RStudio software solution (Bibliometrix package, biblioshiny function), the dataset covering scientific publications in the field from 1979 to 2024, but also taking into account the guidelines of the PRISMA-SEGRESS guidelines to ensure traceability and methodological transparency. The results obtained indicate a high degree of relevance of emerging technologies, such as 6G and digital twins used in streamlining urban mobility, accessibility and environmental sustainability. There was also a significant increase in scientific publications between 2017 and 2023, suggesting an increased degree of academic scientific interest, due to both accelerated urban challenges and the global momentum towards digitalization and digital transformation. This research also identifies limitations and gaps, particularly those related to the social equity impacts of Smart City technologies, as well as their integration into resilient urban planning frameworks. In addition, practical implications for e-commerce are highlighted, where improved infrastructure can facilitate business development through increased accessibility and sustainable service delivery. Future research directions should further examine the socio-economic impact of these models, in particular their potential to reduce digital divides and promote inclusive urban economies.
{"title":"Urban accessibility and digital transformation: A bibliometric study of the 15-Minute City and smart city technologies","authors":"Ionuț Nica , Camelia Delcea , Ștefan Ionescu","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106797","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106797","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, we examine how the concepts of the “15 Minute City” and “Smart City Technologies” intersect, highlighting their importance in promoting urban sustainability and digital transformation. A bibliometric analysis was carried out for this purpose, using the RStudio software solution (Bibliometrix package, biblioshiny function), the dataset covering scientific publications in the field from 1979 to 2024, but also taking into account the guidelines of the PRISMA-SEGRESS guidelines to ensure traceability and methodological transparency. The results obtained indicate a high degree of relevance of emerging technologies, such as 6G and digital twins used in streamlining urban mobility, accessibility and environmental sustainability. There was also a significant increase in scientific publications between 2017 and 2023, suggesting an increased degree of academic scientific interest, due to both accelerated urban challenges and the global momentum towards digitalization and digital transformation. This research also identifies limitations and gaps, particularly those related to the social equity impacts of Smart City technologies, as well as their integration into resilient urban planning frameworks. In addition, practical implications for e-commerce are highlighted, where improved infrastructure can facilitate business development through increased accessibility and sustainable service delivery. Future research directions should further examine the socio-economic impact of these models, in particular their potential to reduce digital divides and promote inclusive urban economies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106797"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146038001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}