There have been rising concerns over the unequal geographical distribution of bicycle sharing services in cities. Previous research on inequalities of urban bikeshare has often focused on quantitatively mapping inequalities with big data from travel records. It has thus been unable to examine the causes, reproduction mechanisms, and consequences of observed spatial inequalities in detail. Using the case of Shenzhen, a Chinese megacity with strong governmental control on mobility and a historical legacy of urban segregation, this study aims to achieve a nuanced understanding of the mechanism through which operators, regulators, and users of dockless bicycle sharing interact to produce and reproduce inequalities in accessing and using the service. To achieve this, this study adopts a mixed-method approach consisting of GIS mapping analysis, survey, and interviews with cyclists and experts. The result shows that both the use frequency and perceived accessibility of dockless bicycles are higher in wealthier and more central neighbourhoods. Moreover, strong governmental regulation in the form of a designated parking system, fleet quota distribution and point-based service evaluation have reproduced and enhanced spatial inequalities in dockless bicycle use and access. The findings contribute to the literature by demonstrating how preexisting urban infrastructure and certain regulatory arrangements interact to form a reproduction cycle of inequalities in accessing and using dockless bicycles that favours more central and well-off neighbourhoods at the expense of marginalized communities in Shenzhen.

中文翻译：

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探究深圳无桩共享单车空间不平等的产生


人们越来越担心城市中自行车共享服务的地理分布不均。此前对城市共享单车不平等现象的研究通常侧重于利用出行记录中的大数据定量绘制不平等现象。因此，它无法详细研究观察到的空间不平等的原因、繁殖机制和后果。本研究以深圳为案例，深入了解无桩共享单车运营商、监管机构和用户互动、生产和使用的机制。再现访问和使用服务方面的不平等。为了实现这一目标，本研究采用了混合方法，包括 GIS 地图分析、调查以及对骑自行车者和专家的采访。结果表明，在较富裕和较中心的社区，无桩自行车的使用频率和感知可达性都较高。此外，政府以指定停车系统、车队配额分配和基于积分的服务评估等形式进行的强有力的监管，再现并加剧了无桩自行车使用和准入方面的空间不平等。研究结果对文献作出了贡献，展示了现有的城市基础设施和某些监管安排如何相互作用，形成了获取和使用无桩自行车方面的不平等的再生产循环，这种循环有利于更中心和富裕的社区，而牺牲了深圳的边缘社区。