The Relationship Between Urban Perceptions and Bike-Sharing Equity in 15-Minute Metro Station Catchments: A Shenzhen Case Study

As cities worldwide strive to promote healthy and sustainable non-motorized transport, the equity of dockless bike-sharing has become a central issue in urban transport planning. This study investigates the relationship between human-scale urban environmental perceptions and the equity of bike-sharing usage within 15-minute cycling catchments of metro stations. Using Shenzhen, China, as a case study, we integrated bike-share trip records from August 2021 (around 43 million trips), population grid data, and Baidu Street View images analyzed with deep learning models. The study first quantified the spatial inequality of bike-sharing usage within each metro catchment area using a per capita trip Gini coefficient. Subsequently, we assessed the correlation between these equity metrics and human-scale urban qualities quantified from street-level imagery. The findings reveal significant intra-catchment usage disparities, with some central urban station areas showing relatively equitable bike-sharing distribution (Gini as low as 0.37), while others, particularly on the urban fringe, exhibit highly inequitable patterns (Gini as high as 0.93). Spearman correlation analysis showed that catchments perceived as “livelier” and more “interesting” had significantly lower Gini coefficients, whereas other perceptual factors such as safety, beauty and wealth showed no significant linear relationship with equity. A Random Forest model further indicated that “liveliness” and “lack of boredom” are the strongest predictors of usage equity, highlighting the critical role of vibrant street environments in promoting equitable access. These findings bridge the fields of transportation equity and urban governance, suggesting that improving the human-scale environment around transit hubs, thereby making streets more engaging, safe, and pleasant, could foster more inclusive and equitable use of bike-sharing.