Exploring the Relationship between Urban Vibrancy and Built Environment Using Multi-Source Data: Case Study in Munich

Urbanization has profoundly reshaped the patterns and forms of modern urban landscapes. Understanding how urban transportation and mobility are affected by spatial planning is vital. Urban vibrancy, as a crucial metric for monitoring urban development, contributes to data-driven planning and sustainable growth. However, empirical studies on the relationship between urban vibrancy and the built environment in European cities remain limited, lacking consensus on the contribution of the built environment. This study employs Munich as a case study, utilizing night-time light, housing prices, social media, points of interest (POIs), and NDVI data to measure various aspects of urban vibrancy while constructing a comprehensive assessment framework. Firstly, the spatial distribution patterns and spatial correlation of various types of urban vibrancy are revealed. Concurrently, based on the 5Ds built environment indicator system, the multi-dimensional influence on urban vibrancy is investigated. Subsequently, the Geodetector model explores the heterogeneity between built environment indicators and comprehensive vibrancy along with its economic, social, cultural, and environmental dimensions, elucidating their influence mechanism. The results show the following: (1) The comprehensive vibrancy in Munich exhibits a pronounced uneven distribution, with a higher vibrancy in central and western areas and lower vibrancy in northern and western areas. High-vibrancy areas are concentrated along major roads and metro lines located in commercial and educational centers. (2) Among multiple models, the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model demonstrates the highest explanatory efficacy on the relationship between the built environment and vibrancy. (3) Economic, social, and comprehensive vibrancy are significantly influenced by the built environment, with substantial positive effects from the POI density, building density, and road intersection density, while mixed land use shows little impact. (4) Interactions among built environment factors significantly impact comprehensive vibrancy, with synergistic interactions among the population density, building density, and POI density generating positive effects. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the resource allocation and functional layout in Munich, emphasizing the complex spatiotemporal relationship between the built environment and urban vibrancy while offering crucial guidance for planning.