Public transport accessibility in villages in and around major Chinese cities

Public transport (PT) accessibility is crucial to inclusive, sustainable urban development, as codified in United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11. Growth in PT accessibility can mask wide variation near and within even major cities. Contrary to the 2023 SDG report’s claim of over 80% convenient PT access in major Chinese cities, we find that only two cities’ villages meet the benchmarks and lowest rate, at just 34%. Commute time improvements depend heavily on population dynamics, but new bus station placements often fail to reflect these shifts. Meanwhile, although fares to city centers generally decreased, the proportion of village populations covered by high-fare routes rose noticeably in some cities. These results reveal how additional travel time, higher costs and changing demographics can impede villagers’ access to urban services. The narrow focus on a ‘10-minute’ performance metric risks driving suboptimal planning decisions that overlook broader travel burdens. A more nuanced, population-responsive approach to planning is needed to ensure that SDG 11 remains inclusive for all urban communities. As China’s cities grow, getting around town must keep pace. This study finds wide disparities in public transport accessibility in villages near and within major Chinese cities, suggesting the limitations of focusing on overall commute times.