Identifying the Spatial Heterogeneity in the Effects of the Social Environment on Housing Rents in Guangzhou, China

Housing rents in cities is an important topic in the study of urban geography and an area that needs to be focused on to develop livable cities. As a critical component of the urban environment, the social environment influences housing rents and should not be neglected. However, little research examines how spatial heterogeneity in the social environment impacts housing rents. To address this gap, this paper performs a case study of Guangzhou, China and constructs a livability-oriented social environment conceptual framework that covers five aspects: educational background, occupation, unemployment, floating population, and rental household. It then develops datasets of the influencing factors such as the social environment as well as the building, convenience, physical environment, and location characteristics for 1,328 communities in Guangzhou. Ordinary least squares (OLS) and mixed geographically weighted regression (mixed GWR) model are then employed for further analyses. The results show that the mixed GWR model is more effective than the OLS and classical GWR models. Four aspects of the social environment—educational background, occupation, floating population, and rental household—have a spatially heterogeneous relationship with housing rents. The impact of the social environment on housing rents is more evident in suburban districts. The current findings help to better understand the spatial limitation of the social environment’s impact on housing rents, which enables policy makers to develop evidence-based, spatially differentiated affordable rental housing programs and provides theoretical support for the development of livable cities.