Analysis of the Influence of Urban Integrated Transportation Networks on Urban Vitality Redistribution in the Context of the Nighttime Economy

Urban nocturnal vitality reflects urban modernization, economic prosperity, and population activity intensity. Existing studies on transport-vitality relationships often overlook temporal heterogeneity in multi-modal interactions and non-linear dynamics. This study addresses these gaps by analyzing nighttime vitality in central Shanghai using hourly mobile phone signaling data (April 2024), integrating metro, bus, motor vehicle, and non-motorized networks to quantify road networks dynamically, and applying a random forest model to capture non-linear correlations. Key findings: (1) Temporal segmentation: Public transport (metro + bus, 67% weight) dominates vitality distribution 18:00–23:00, while motor vehicle networks (58% weight) lead 23:00–6:00, reflecting a shift from large-scale to refined nighttime consumption. (2) Critical threshold: The 23:00 public transport shutdown reduces transport-vitality correlation by 29%, supplementing Batty’s urban pulse theory with transport timeliness. (3) Dynamic synergy: Non-transport factors amplify peak-hour vitality (19:00–20:00), while road networks guide residual activity in early mornings (2:00–3:00), validating Jacobs’ “street eye” theory. Methodologically, this study advances dynamic multi-modal weighting and machine learning for non-linear relationships, offering actionable strategies to enhance livability in high-density cities.