Travel flow patterns of diverse population groups and influencing built environment factors: A case study of Beijing

Human travel flow within a city, defined as the movement of inhabitants between different places, is a crucial aspect of urban planning, as it involves the inhabitants' demand for the built environment. However, the flows of different genders and ages may show different patterns owing to various needs. Therefore, understanding the flow patterns of different groups and their relationships with the built environment is essential for creating a well-designed urban environment that meets the needs of all types of inhabitants. However, few studies have investigated the flow patterns of different groups to capture the heterogeneous effects of the built environment on different populations. This study analysed flow patterns and differences among various groups from a flow perspective and determined the impact of the built environment. The results indicated that different groups differed in flow distance, time, and spatial distribution. Moreover, built environment factors can be categorized into three types: promoting factors positively influence all groups (subway accessibility, population). Inhibiting factors negatively influence all groups (distance, transportation hubs). Bifactorial factors exhibit heterogeneous effects on different groups (residences, employment, commercial, education, healthcare, entertainment, entropy, distance to downtown). Our findings may be crucial in creating a more inclusive and equitable urban environment.