Mixed Use and Self-containment of Employment in Shenzhen

Mixed use has often been proposed to promote jobs–housing balance and to increase self-containment of employment (SCE), thereby reducing commuting distance. However, the relationship between mixed use and work trips has few consensus. Previous ambiguous results relate to different urban structures in Western and Chinese cities. Whether mixed use is correlated with SCE remains to be explored. In this study, the relationships between mixed use and SCE are examined in the industrial and commercial areas in Shenzhen, China. The effects of commercial–residential and industrial–residential mixes on SCE are determined using mobile phone data. Results indicate that mixed use is positively correlated with SCE in industrial–residential mix areas in the suburbs, but is not a sufficient condition in commercial–residential mix areas in central cities. Mixed use alone does not achieve high self-containment of employment, which also depends on other factors such as its economic sector, location and housing prices.