Social interactions and spatial structure of cities: a social network apporach

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25420547
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Civil engineering project/Traffic engineering
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: OTAZAWA Toshimori 神戸大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (30374987)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 土木計画 / 社会的ネットワーク / 社会的相互作用 / 都市空間構造

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we examined the interdependency between social and geographical distance, incorporating both social and transportation networks explicitly. To this end, first, we propose a theoretical framework that incorporates both social and transportation networks into an equilibrium model of social interactions in order to examine how the level and the spatial pattern of interactions between agents depend on both networks. Second, location choices and socialization (link formation in social networks) choices were examined in this framework. We showed that a decrease of transportation cost would lead to locational dispersion and decline the level of social welfare in a city. Third, we discussed evolutionary implementation of optimal toll scheme on social interactions and traffic congestion. Finally, we estimated the causal effect of agent’s position in the social network on its spatial location within a city, using micro date of inter-firm transaction network.

Free Research Field

土木計画学・交通工学