Multidimensional Neighborhood Amenity Characteristics and Housing Prices in Urban China

• Published in: Applied spatial analysis and policy Vol. 18; no. 2
• Main Authors: Qu, Zihan, Wu, Yangyi, Liu, Meitong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Access; Housing; Housing market; Housing prices; Human Geography; Landscape/Regional and Urban Planning; Neighborhoods; Nonlinear analysis; Prices; Quality of life; Regional/Spatial Science; Social Sciences; Urban planning; Urbanization; China; Neighborhood characteristics; Hedonic pricing; Urban planning; Housing prices; Amenities
• ISSN: 1874-463X; 1874-4621
• DOI: 10.1007/s12061-025-09667-1

Rapid urbanization in China has made well-designed urban amenities increasingly crucial for quality of life and housing values. However, the precise impact of neighborhood amenities remains unclear. This study investigates how different characteristics of neighborhood amenities influence housing prices in Wuhan, China. Instead of merely measuring spatial accessibility to amenities, we propose a framework that considers both accessibility and activity factors, encompassing four key characteristics of amenities: quantity, quality, functional mix, and spatial arrangement. Using linear and nonlinear models, we find that all four characteristics significantly impact housing prices. The linear regression result shows that the relative importance of quantity and quality depends on the type of amenities, as private services tend to rely more on quality, while both quality and quantity are important for essential services. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis further reveals more complex nonlinear effects. While amenity quality may show either marginal or threshold effects, other amenity characteristics may show more complicated effects, such as U-shaped, inverted U-shaped, or even W-shaped patterns. Such a distinct pattern implies that the center-, suburb-, and urban periphery-based residents may show various preferences for neighborhood amenities. These findings highlight the critical role of amenity configuration in shaping housing markets, offering a significant refinement to urban planning models that traditionally focus on quantity and proximity.