Perceptual Disparities in Transportation Accessibility, Neighborhood Quality, and Satisfaction across Metro, Urban, and Rural Areas

In this study, we examined the spatial inequalities in transportation accessibility, neighborhood environments, and overall satisfaction across metropolitan, urban, and rural areas in South Korea, and explored the relationships among these factors.Utilizing the 2020 Korea Housing Survey, we applied inequality indices and multinomial logistic and ordinal regression models.Our analysis highlights several key findings.The Gini index for overall neighborhood satisfaction is 0.075, indicating moderate inequality, whereas transportation accessibility shows a more pronounced disparity with an index of approximately 0.120.Multinomial logistic regression results underscore that transportation accessibility-particularly to hospitals, markets, and public transportation-significantly impacts resident satisfaction, particularly in metropolitan and urban settings.Rural residents generally report more favorable conditions in terms of lower pollution, better parking, and stronger social ties.However, metropolitan residents benefit from superior pedestrian environments, educational facilities, and safety, leading to a higher satisfaction with housing quality but a greater tendency to relocate.Additionally, in rural areas, housing quality and access to essential services such as hospitals, public transportation, and markets are crucial for neighborhood satisfaction.This study enhances the literature by providing an additional understanding and offering practical insights for policymakers and urban planners aiming to create more equitable and sustainable communities.