Variability in Human Mobility during the Third Wave of COVID-19 in Japan

Takafumi Ando, Toshihisa Sato, Naohisa Hashimoto, Yen Tran, Naoki Konishi, Yuji Takeda and Motoyuki Akamatsu
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Takafumi Ando: Human-Centered Mobility Research Center, Information Technology and Human Factors, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
Toshihisa Sato: Human-Centered Mobility Research Center, Information Technology and Human Factors, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
Naohisa Hashimoto: Human-Centered Mobility Research Center, Information Technology and Human Factors, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
Yen Tran: Human-Centered Mobility Research Center, Information Technology and Human Factors, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
Naoki Konishi: Human-Centered Mobility Research Center, Information Technology and Human Factors, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
Yuji Takeda: Human-Centered Mobility Research Center, Information Technology and Human Factors, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
Motoyuki Akamatsu: Human-Centered Mobility Research Center, Information Technology and Human Factors, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-17

Abstract: Understanding factors regarding individual variability in human mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic would help inform future political and medical decisions. Particularly, understanding environmental factors would provide effective evidence for future urban development and the construction of a mobility service. Given the limited related evidence thus far, we investigated inter-individual variability in human mobility regarding life space during COVID-19 in Japan. We conducted an online survey to assess human mobility, demographics, and personality, and city structure surveys for objective environmental factors. Human mobility was assessed using the Life Space Assessment (LSA) questionnaire. Result revealed that the total LSA score was significantly higher in people who were men, middle-aged, working, living with their children, public transportation users, bicycle users, and car drivers, and those having a higher score for extraversion and ego resiliency and a lower score for conscientiousness. People living in the city with high traffic on the roads between plains and mountains had a higher LSA score, and had a lower score where there were many plains with a consistent road density, revealing diverse individual and environmental factors associated with human mobility during the pandemic. Thus, political decisions for urban development should consider these characteristics, the pandemic, and individual convenience.

Keywords: life space; human mobility; well-being; online survey; city structure; coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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