How greenspaces fit into daily routines: Evidence from mobile signaling data in Shenzhen, China

Source abstract

Understanding how greenspaces fit into people’s daily lives is crucial for promoting use and realizing associated health benefits, yet most studies treat greenspace visits as isolated leisure activities rather than as components of structured daily routines. This study examines how urban greenspace use is embedded in residents’ daily activity sequences in Shenzhen, China. Drawing on anonymized mobile phone signaling data for nearly 7 million users from a typical weekday, we reconstruct home-based tours involving home, workplace, greenspace, and other activity locations. By identifying the stops immediately before and after each greenspace visit, we characterize the mobility contexts in which these visits occur and examine their spatiotemporal patterns. The results show that the timing and duration of greenspace visits, as well as the choice of which greenspace to visit, are closely related to the ordering of adjacent activities and associated space–time constraints. Greenspace visits occur not only as dedicated outings but also as part of routine travel, such as commuting. Clustering 351 greenspaces by the composition of their associated trip sequences further reveals three distinct types, each reflecting a different pattern of use and pointing to diverse opportunities for everyday nature exposure. Together, these findings underscore the importance of moving beyond static, distance-based accessibility measures toward a behavior-based understanding of greenspace use, with implications for the planning and design of urban greenspaces in high-density cities.