Time Allocation and the Activity-Space-Based Segregation of Different Income Groups: A Case Study of Nanjing

Time allocation is closely related to life quality and is a potential indicator of urban space utilization and sociospatial differentiation. However, existing time allocation studies focus on how time is allocated to various activities but pay less attention to where individuals allocate their time. In the context of China’s transformation, this study examines the differences in time allocation in different urban spaces between low- and non-low-income groups based on two methods, descriptive statistics and social area analysis. The results show that low-income participants’ daily activities (especially work) are highly dependent on the central city area. However, they are at a disadvantage in accessing the central city area. Nevertheless, non-low-income individuals have diversified activity spaces and can better choose locations according to the purpose of activities and make fuller use of various types of urban areas. This study indicates that there are social differences in time allocation and urban space utilization among different income groups. The results obtained with regression models reveal that in addition to income, activity characteristics and built environment characteristics are significant factors affecting the differences. Social policies should support the equitable distribution of urban resources for different social groups, especially for vulnerable groups who live in affordable housing.