A spatial projection pursuit model for identifying comprehensive urban vitality on blocks using multisource geospatial data

The vitality of city blocks is a crucial indicator of urban development, influenced by human activity, the built environment, and their interconnections. Urban vitality often exhibits agglomeration effects, whereas blocks nearby tend to exhibit similar vitality values. However, existing evaluation methods struggle to effectively account for the spatial correlations among block vitality while simultaneously assessing comprehensive vitality from multiple perspectives. Using Chongqing as a study case, we use multisource geospatial big data to explore the spatial pattern of city block vitality by using a multiobjective optimization spatial projection pursuit model (MOO-SPP). Five dimensions of vitality were conducted and projected into a comprehensive vitality. The results show that (1) the city proper of Chongqing exhibited a "multicenter and multigroup" vitality pattern in terms of comprehensive vitality, and new areas foster several peaks of urban vitality; (2) the spatial distribution of the single-dimensional vitality varies, and enhancing transportation accessibility in the new areas is of utmost importance; (3) there are spatial variation in urban vitality among the districts and blocks, which are influenced by urban form and city polices. This study can provide insights to stakeholders in better understanding the spatial patterns and factors influencing multidimensional block vitality.