The jobs-housing relationship and commuting in Guangzhou, China: Hukou and dual structure

Jobs-housing relations and commuting have been a concern of academics and policy makers alike. Various hypotheses from the West have been tested in leading Chinese metropolises, but so far no attention has been paid to the role of hukou, a rather unique Chinese institution causing the emergence of invisible walls within cities. To address this deficiency, the present paper places hukou at the forefront in its analysis of commuting in Guangzhou and reveals that in comparison with hukou holders, non-hukou residents tend to have more balanced jobs-housing relationship, rely less on motorized transport, and spend less time on commuting than hukou holders. Furthermore, some variables have influence on commuting time for one hukou type but not the other; some other variables that have influence on both groups differ systematically in their effects.