On December 22, 2025, the TRANS Research Group hosted an invited academic lecture by Dr. Tanhua Jin, a Postdoctoral Fellow from the Department of Geography at Ghent University, titled “Spatial Mobility, Opportunity Exposure, and Social Segregation: Evidence from Large-Scale Mobility Data.”
This study is based on large-scale mobility data, including mobile GPS trajectory data and mobile signaling data. From multiple dimensions of individual travel behavior—namely, travel frequency, travel extensity, and activity diversity—we systematically examine the mechanisms linking travel behavior to the social and built environments. The study reveals how social structure and the built environment shape individuals’ exposure to social and environmental opportunities through spatial mobility processes, and how these processes give rise to patterns of social segregation. By adopting a behavioral perspective, this research provides new empirical evidence and an analytical framework for understanding social inequality.