Exploring the spatial heterogeneity of micro-mobility ownership based on the geographically weighted Poisson regression model: an empirical study from a small and medium-sized plain city

Micro-mobility contributes to the transformation of car-centric urban transport systems. Few studies have focused on micro-mobility ownership, a non-negligible indicator for understanding the popularity and development of micro-mobility. Using travel mode ownership data from a small and medium-sized plain city in China, this paper takes e-bikes and bicycles as examples to comparatively analyze the spatial heterogeneity of micro-mobility ownership from the perspective of household characteristics and built environment, which is achieved by the comparison of the geographically weighted Poisson regression model and spatial error model. Study results show that many factors, including household size, monthly household income, and bus stop density, have significant effects on micro-mobility ownership, with the effects varying across regions. Among them, household size, monthly household income, monthly household transportation expenses, car ownership, intersection density, and commercial service facility density are found to be common determinants of e-bike ownership and bicycle ownership. Exclusive determinants of e-bike ownership include number of students, number of workers, and number of adults. Number of males and bus stop density are exclusive determinants of bicycle ownership. These findings provide useful insights for understanding the spatial heterogeneity characteristics of micro-mobility ownership and serve as valuable references for policymakers and urban planners.