Exploring Spatiotemporal Interaction Patterns of Dockless Shared Bicycle Networks: A Case Study of Shenzhen, China

Abstract

The explosive development of shared bicycles has changed the way people travel. In parallel with the urbanization process, shared bicycles have emerged as a significant mode of transportation, especially for the first and last mile transit. With the aim of obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the spatiotemporal patterns underlying shared bicycle usage, this study takes Shenzhen, China as a case study. Drawing on the principles and techniques of complex network analysis, the research adopts a spatial grid framework, treating each grid as a node, the flow of shared bicycles as an edge, and the flow frequency as the corresponding weight. Subsequently, the spatiotemporal interaction networks of different periods of working days and weekends are constructed respectively, based on which the topological characteristics are analysed. The results show that the spatiotemporal interaction networks exhibit high regional connectivity and node interdependence, suggesting the presence of a small-world phenomenon.