Environmental constraints, mobility limits, and spatial inequality in access to public services: evidence from a mountainous region in China

Mountainous environments can restrict mobility and generate unequal access to services, yet fine-scale evidence from remote rural counties remains limited. This study examines how terrain and transport connectivity shape spatial inequality in access to compulsory education in Fenghuang County, western Hunan, China. We refined the rural road network using high-resolution imagery and map data, then assessed accessibility to primary and secondary schools with a multimodal two-step floating catchment area model. County-wide inequality was measured using Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients, and local disparities in accessibility and supply–demand balance were identified through spatial clustering analysis. Results reveal pronounced stage-specific inequalities. Primary-school accessibility is lower and more constrained by dispersed settlements and weak local connectivity, whereas secondary-school accessibility is broader but still shows deficits in remote mountainous areas. These findings show that limited mobility can reinforce educational disadvantage and provide evidence for planning, transport support, and equity improvement in mountainous regions.