Mapping Urban Vitality: Geospatial Analysis of Commercial Diversity and Tourism

Business diversity in proximity-based environments is emerging as an important requirement in urban planning, especially with the rise of concepts such as the 15-min city, which aim to enhance urban vitality. While many studies have focused on assessing vitality through the conditions defined by Jane Jacobs, few have specifically measured commercial diversity and analyzed its relationship with place popularity, attendance, and tourism activity. Using geo-localized data on businesses and Google Maps reviews in Paris, a diversity index was constructed based on Shannon entropy derived from business categories—Culture and leisure, Food and beverage, Retail stores, Local services—and explored its correlations through statistical analysis. The study reveals a higher level of commercial diversity in central areas compared to the outskirts, as indicated by spatial clustering analysis, along with a positive association between diversity and attendance. However, no significant relationship was observed between commercial diversity and the popularity of the selected establishments. These findings may inform policymakers and urban planners in designing more locally diversified cities and, more broadly, in promoting sustainable urban vitality.