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Disruptions as catalysts for change: exploring multi-year temporal dynamics of mobility styles
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DOI：10.1007/s11116-026-10807-w.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Disruptive events, ranging from extreme weather events to global pandemics, inevitably reshape the way people live, travel, and interact with their environments. Understanding both temporary shifts and longer-term behavioral adaptations in response to disruptions is critical for planning resilient transportation systems that can adapt to evolving mobility patterns. This study leverages longitudinal Point of Interest (POI) data from 15,720 unique panelists in the United States between February 2020 and May 2022 to uncover the multi-year temporal dynamics of individual activity-travel patterns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Applying spectral clustering techniques to a comprehensive set of mobility indicators, we identify six distinct mobility styles: anchored dweller, off-peak mover, morning commuter, home-based traveler, dynamic explorer, and frequent trip-maker. The mobility styles approach acts as a dimensionality reduction of complex patterns into interpretable profiles that can be tracked and compared over time, capturing variations in activity patterns, spatial habits, and schedule habits. Our findings reveal that the temporary shift toward the anchored dweller mobility style peaked during the height of pandemic restrictions but gradually weakened over time despite remaining higher than pre-pandemic levels. By mid-2022, higher activity styles have rebounded beyond pre-pandemic levels, while high levels of at-home dwell times persist, suggesting structural changes to activity-travel behavior. We also observe heterogeneity in transitions between mobility styles, with higher-income individuals more likely to transition to lower-mobility styles during the peak of pandemic restrictions. These results underscore the uneven impacts of disruptions across different segments of the population. The study introduces an approach that simplifies complex activity-travel patterns into interpretable mobility styles, providing a structured framework for studying resilience and adaptation in response to disruptions.
Keywords:
Mobility styles
Travel behavior dynamics
COVID-19 pandemic
Disruptions
Resilience
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3.3
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2.1K
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7.1K
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