Mengqiu Cao

University College London, Bartlett School of Environment Energy and Resources, Faculty Member

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Papers by Mengqiu Cao

Exploring the dynamics of cross-boundary interactions in Qinglinkou, China: The perspective of networks of second-home owners

Current Issues in Tourism, 2024

Cross-boundary interactions between second-home owners and local are complex over time – networks... more Cross-boundary interactions between second-home owners and local are complex over time – networks form and evolve within second-home owners and between owners and locals, each with its deliberately selective inclusion and exclusion. However, little attention has been paid to this phenomenon in the literature. This study, based on social network analysis alongside qualitative interviews, explores the dynamics of interactions between second-home owners and locals by analysing the networks formed by second-home owners in Qinglinkou, China. The ways in which second-home owners maintain and strengthen pre-existing networks with other owners and forge new links with locals, shape the cross-boundary interactions between the two groups. This study contributes to understanding the dynamics of cross-boundary interactions that are interwoven into the networks that second-home owners establish and maintain over time, and offers additional insights into the fragility of integration and high risk of segregation between the two groups in second-home destinations.

Boat commuting, travel satisfaction and well-being: Empirical evidence from Greater London

Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2024

Promoting well-being and contentment among daily commuters is pivotal for sustainable and thrivin... more Promoting well-being and contentment among daily commuters is pivotal for sustainable and thriving societies. This study investigates the reciprocal link between commuting satisfaction, overall life contentment, and personality traits, focusing on the unique and eco-friendly mode of boat commuting in particular. Using a combination of subjective survey data and objective physiological measures (resting heart rate (RHR) and facial emotions), this empirical study uncovers heightened commuting satisfaction among boat commuters compared to non-boat users. Employing analytical tools such as exploratory factor analysis (EFA), independent t-tests and ordinal logistic regression (OLR), the study elucidates the positive influence of boat commuting on life contentment and personality traits. While Spearman correlation tests did not establish significant links between low RHR, cheerful facial emotions, and commute satisfaction, the findings illuminate intricate connections between commuting mode and well-being. These insights hold relevance for shaping sustainable commuting strategies and policies, thus contributing to enhanced urban well-being and ecologically conscious transportation practices.

Congestion and pollutant emission analysis of urban road networks based on floating vehicle data

Urban Climate, 2024

Global warming caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) is receiving increasingly attention from all over t... more Global warming caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) is receiving increasingly attention from all over the world, and urban transportation is a significant source of greenhouse gas and pollutant emission. However, the research on traffic state of urban road networks (URNs) based on sparse floating vehicle data (FVD) is insufficient. Therefore, we mainly utilize big data techniques to explore the congestion and pollutant emission of URN with FVD. Firstly, the location of vehicles is identified and matched with the URN. We then grid the FVD and city maps to more accurately identify areas of congestion and emission in later section. Following this, we use the congestion index and K-means clustering algorithm to evaluate the traffic state over time, pollutant emission is calculated based on emission calculation standards and carbon emission is estimated by using the fuel consumption-speed model. The results indicate that congestion and emission are very severe during peak hours (e.g., 8:00 a.m.), particularly in some transportation hub areas, such as high-speed rail stations. During off-peak hours (e.g., 11:00 p.m.), congestion and emission are relatively lower. The negative correlation between congestion index and emission is also revealed. This study provides some practical approaches to more accurately estimate the overall urban traffic state by using sparse traffic data, and may offer support to urban traffic managers in managing traffic congestion and pollutant emissions.

Exploring ‘equigenesis’ in the associations between green space and kidney health among middle-aged and older adults using street view data

Innovation in Aging, 2023

Background and Objectives: This study systematically explores the association between community g... more Background and Objectives: This study systematically explores the association between community green space and preventing kidney failure among middle-aged and older adults in China, using street view data.

Research Design and Methods: The 33 Chinese Community Health Study (CCHS) was used to conduct the analysis. We used street view data to assess street view green space (SVG) exposure and clearly distinguished the difference between grass (SVG-grass) and trees (SVG-tree). The normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) was also used. Kidney failure was defined as a serum creatinine concentration of above 177mol/l. We used multilevel logistic regression models (controlled for a series of covariates) to examine the associations between SVG and the odds of middle-aged and older adults having kidney failure. We also tested whether middle-aged and older adults from socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are likely to derive greater benefits from the effects of green space (‘equigenesis’).

Results: The results showed that both SVG (OR = 0.353; 95% CI = 0.171-0.731) and SVG-trees (OR = 0.327; 95% CI = 0.146-0.736) were negatively associated with the likelihood of middle-aged and older adults experiencing kidney failure, but there was no significant evidence of any links between either SVG-grass (OR = 0.567; 95% CI = 0.300-1.076) or the NDVI (OR = 0.398; 95% CI = 0.237-1.058) and kidney failure. Furthermore, the moderation analysis indicated that income and educational attainment have a moderating effect on the association between green space and the improvement of kidney health, which suggests that green space has greater positive effects on the kidney health of disadvantaged groups.

Discussion and Implications: To reduce inequalities in relation to kidney disease through urban planning, policymakers are advised to provide more visual green space – especially trees – within the community and to focus in particular on socioeconomically disadvantaged population groups.

Gravity-based models for evaluating urban park accessibility: Why does localized selection of attractiveness factors and travel modes matter?

Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 2023

Gravity-based models have been extensively utilized in urban studies for measuring geographic dis... more Gravity-based models have been extensively utilized in urban studies for measuring geographic disparities in access to urban parks over the past several decades. However, despite methodological advancements incorporating various aspects of accessibility, there has been limited focus on the impact of variable selection (e.g., attractiveness factors) and transport modes on accessibility evaluations. This study investigates the differences in gravity-based models for assessing park accessibility based on varying assumptions about attractiveness factors and travel impedance. Semi-structured interviews with local residents were conducted to identify the reasons for park visits in Shanghai. Our bivariate correlation analyses reveal that factors such as park openness and access to public transport were crucial, in addition to conventional factors identified in the literature (i.e., park size and driving accessibility). This insight led to the development of localized accessibility measurements that incorporate park inclusiveness (i.e., entrance fees and opening hours) and multimodal travel options (based on multinomial logistic mode choice models). The results indicate that the refined model produces lower and more varied accessibility levels, which can better capture accessibility gaps across different geographic contexts. This accurate and practical identification of accessibility gaps can assist local planners and decision-makers in formulating effective policies and strategies to promote equitable access to urban public parks.

The development of a rebar-counting model for reinforced concrete columns: Using an unmanned aerial vehicle and deep-learning approach

Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2023

Inspecting the number of rebars in each column of a reinforced concrete (RC) structure is a signi... more Inspecting the number of rebars in each column of a reinforced concrete (RC) structure is a significant task that must be undertaken during the rebar inspection process. Conventionally, counting the rebars has relied on a manual inspection carried out by visiting inspectors. However, this approach is very time-consuming, labor-intensive, and poses a potential safety risk. Previous studies have focused on the applications of counting the rebars for a production line and/or warehouse, using vision-based methods. Therefore, this study aims to propose an innovative approach incorporating the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on real construction sites to count the rebars automatically. For analyzing the images, robust object detection methods based on deep learning (Faster R-CNN, R-FCN, SSD 300, SSD500, YOLOv5, and YOLOv6) were developed. A total of 384 models generated from six different methods were trained and implemented using data sets based on the original and augmented images with adjustments made for the hyperparameters. In a test, the best optimized model based on Faster R-CNN produced an accuracy of 94.61% at AP50. In addition, video testing demonstrated a coverage of up to 32 frames per second in the experimental environment, suggesting that this method has potential for real-time application.

Is It Possible to Compete With Car Use? How Buses Can Facilitate Sustainable Transport

Urban Planning

The need to prioritise the development of bus transport has attracted widespread attention in the... more The need to prioritise the development of bus transport has attracted widespread attention in the literature. This study aims to investigate how buses can be used to facilitate a sustainable transport system, using Heze, in China, as a case study. Our results show that older people, unemployed residents, and those whose points of departure or arrival are within the city centre are more likely to travel by bus. In addition, compared to other travel modes, travel by bus tends to become more popular as travel time and distance increase. We predict the probabilities of people using buses for journeys of different travel times and over varying distances and rank them in order. The results suggest that bus travel could potentially replace car travel when the travel time is between 15 and 30 minutes or the travel distance is more than 9 km. In terms of policy implications, governments and planners should pay more attention to creating additional bus lanes, extending the bus network and its...

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Exploring the Relationship between Urban Form, Mobility and Social Well-Being: Towards an Interdisciplinary Field of Sustainable Urban Planning and Transport Development

Sustainability

This Special Issue focuses on exploring the relationship between urban form, mobility, and social... more

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Synthesising the Existing Literature on the Market Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles and the External Underlying Factors

Journal of Advanced Transportation

In recent years, the level of acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has changed with the advent... more In recent years, the level of acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has changed with the advent of new sensor technologies and the proportional increase in market perception of these vehicles. Our study provides an overview of the relevant existing studies in order to consolidate current knowledge and pave the way for future studies in this area. The paper first reviews studies investigating the market acceptance of AVs. We identify the nonbehavioural factors that account for the level of acceptance and examine these in detail by cross-referencing the results of relevant papers published between 2014 and 2021 to reach a consensus on the perceived benefits and concerns. The findings showed that previous studies have found legal liability, safety, privacy, security, traffic conditions, and cost to be key external factors influencing the acceptance or rejection of AVs, and that the upsides of adopting AVs in regard to improving traffic conditions and safety outweigh the risks identif...

format_quoteGlobal market purchasing power for AVs estimated at $38k, considerably lower than the anticipated $100k price.format_quote

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Investigating the urban traffic environment using the internet of things

Auto Time, 2023

With the rapid development of urbanisation and the continuous growth in demand for transport, mon... more With the rapid development of urbanisation and the continuous growth in demand for transport, monitoring and analysing the urban traffic environment has become one of the most important means through which to improve the efficiency of traffic operations and enhance the quality of the transport environment. This paper explores the methods and applications relating to the Internet of Things (IoT) that can be used to monitor and analyse the urban traffic environment. By utilising techniques such as wireless sensor networks, cloud computing, and big data analytics, real-time, accurate, and comprehensive data on the urban traffic environment can be acquired and analysed, providing a scientific basis for traffic management decision-making. This paper provides a detailed overview of how areas of the IoT can be used in urban traffic environment monitoring. It also analyses the advantages of and challenges posed by the IoT in relation to urban traffic environment monitoring, and proposes directions and recommendations for future development.

Impacts of Reduced Inequalities on Quality Education: Examining the Relationship between Regional Sustainability and Higher Education

Sustainability

Although the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate, through SDG 4 and SDG... more Although the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate, through SDG 4 and SDG 10, equitable quality education and the reduction of inequalities within and between countries, respectively, few studies have examined how inequalities in regional sustainability influence higher education. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between regional sustainability and higher education in China using fixed-effects panel modelling. A systematic force framework showing how regional sustainability drives higher education was constructed from economic, social, and environmental perspectives, and the endogeneity in the process of how regional sustainability affects higher education was explored by introducing one-year lagged values as instrumental variables. Our results show that regional sustainability has a significant impact on higher educational attainment in China, with differing effects in the eastern, central, and western regions, respectively. In central ...

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Spatial risk for a superspreading environment: Insights from six urban facilities in six global cities across four continents

Frontiers in Public Health, 2023

Introduction: This study sets out to provide scientific evidence on the spatial risk for the form... more Introduction: This study sets out to provide scientific evidence on the spatial risk for the formation of a superspreading environment.

Methods: Focusing on six common types of urban facilities (bars, cinemas, gyms and fitness centers, places of worship, public libraries and shopping malls), it first tests whether visitors' mobility characteristics differ systematically for different types of facility and at different locations. The study collects detailed human mobility and other locational data in Chicago, Hong Kong, London, São Paulo, Seoul and Zurich. Then, considering facility agglomeration, visitors' profile and the density of the population, facilities are classified into four potential spatial risk (PSR) classes. Finally, a kernel density function is employed to derive the risk surface in each city based on the spatial risk class and nature of activities.

Results: Results of the human mobility analysis reflect the geographical and cultural context of various facilities, transport characteristics and people's lifestyle across cities. Consistent across the six global cities, geographical agglomeration is a risk factor for bars. For other urban facilities, the lack of agglomeration is a risk factor. Based on the spatial risk maps, some high-risk areas of superspreading are identified and discussed in each city.

Discussion: Integrating activity-travel patterns in risk models can help identify areas that attract highly mobile visitors and are conducive to superspreading. Based on the findings, this study proposes a place-based strategy of non-pharmaceutical interventions that balance the control of the pandemic and the daily life of the urban population.

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Do residents living in transit-oriented development station catchment areas travel sustainably? The impacts of life events

Journal of Advanced Transportation, 2023

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is an urban designed model aimed at attracting more sustainabl... more Transit-oriented development (TOD) is an urban designed model aimed at attracting more sustainable travellers. However, not all TOD projects succeed in maintaining a high rate of sustainable travel behaviour. To examine the impacts of TOD on residents’ travel behaviour, this paper applies binary logistic regression to analyse survey data for 1,298 residents living in the TOD areas in Hangzhou collected in 2020. The results show that socioeconomic characteristics, built environment factors, and travel attitudes play important roles in influencing their travel mode choices. Furthermore, the number of children in households and higher levels of car ownership significantly influence residents’ sustainable travel behaviours. However, it appears that only a limited number of factors can convince car users to shift to sustainable modes of travel, such as their workplace being accessible by metro and attitudes towards changes in accessibility. This research study contributes to the existing literature in terms of enhancing the understanding of travel mode choice behaviours, particularly with regard to people who live near public transport infrastructure, as well as formulating evidence-based TOD policies to achieve more sustainable transport systems.

format_quoteFocus on life events reveals insights that can guide urban planners to foster sustainable transportation in TOD catchment areas.format_quote

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Development of a composite regional vulnerability index and its relationship with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

Computational Urban Science, 2023

The interactions between vulnerability and human activities have largely been regarded in terms o... more The interactions between vulnerability and human activities have largely been regarded in terms of the level of risk they pose, both internally and externally, for certain groups of disadvantaged individuals and regions/areas. However, to date, very few studies have attempted to develop a comprehensive composite regional vulnerability index, in relation to travel, housing, and social deprivation, which can be used to measure vulnerability at an aggregated level in the social sciences. Therefore, this research aims to develop a composite regional vulnerability index with which to examine the combined issues of travel, housing and socioeconomic vulnerability (THASV index). It also explores the index's relationship with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting both social and spatial inequality, using Greater London as a case study, with data analysed at the level of Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs). The findings show that most of the areas with high levels of composite vulnerability are distributed in Outer London, particularly in suburban areas. In addition, it is also found that there is a spatial correlation between the THASV index and the risk of COVID-19 deaths, which further exacerbates the potential implications of social deprivation and spatial inequality. Moreover, the results of the multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) show that the travel and socioeconomic indicators in a neighbouring district and the related vulnerability indices are strongly associated with the risk of dying from COVID-19. In terms of policy implications, the findings can be used to inform sustainable city planning and urban development strategies designed to resolve urban socio-spatial inequalities and the potential related impacts of COVID-19, as well as guiding future policy evaluation of urban structural patterns in relation to vulnerable areas.

format_quoteMGWR results show strong links between travel-related vulnerability and COVID-19 death risk, informing urban planning strategies.format_quote

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The inequalities of different dimensions of visible street urban green space provision: A machine learning approach

Land Use Policy, 2022

Awareness is growing that the uneven provision of street urban green space (UGS) may lead to envi... more