Physical and virtual mobilities’ role in shaping socioeconomic and wellbeing outcomes: development of configurational analysis to reveal meso-level causal dynamics

This thesis examines how the co-evolution of physical (transport) and digital mobilities shapes inequality and wellbeing in rapidly urbanising, digitalising cities. As residents navigate increasingly complex mobility systems, understanding these dynamics is critical for equitable urban futures. It asks: (1) What causal pathways link evolving infrastructure–individual relationships to poverty risks and quality of life (QoL)? (2) How do transport and digital mobilities interact to produce these outcomes? (3) How do social ties mediate these effects across age groups? The thesis makes three contributions. Theoretically, it bridges micro–meso gaps by showing how socio-technical regime evolution influences individual outcomes through “mobility assemblages.” Methodologically, it advances fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) with a novel two-step design that connects individual mobility patterns to regime-level conditions, including a configurational propinquity index and accompanying visualisation software. Empirically, it provides original survey evidence from Wuhan, Guangzhou and Shenzhen (n=739; July–September 2022), demonstrating how transport–digital mobility interactions generate differentiated pathways to poverty risks and wellbeing. QoL is measured using EQ-5D-5L with Chinese value sets. Findings reveal multiple, non-linear, city- and population-specific pathways: exclusion is not universal to any single demographic, but emerges from configurations combining life-course stage, education, infrastructure trajectories and perceptions, socio-economic/social capital, and mobility skills. Younger groups tend to achieve good QoL via flexible multimodal strategies that avoid platform lock-ins, while older groups do so through sustained physical mobility combined with context-appropriate digital engagement. Across generations, social ties consistently support good QoL, and “city membership” is not required in configurations linking social ties to QoL—suggesting more generalisable social pathways across the three cities. Policy implications emphasise integrated mobility planning that treats transport and digital systems as interdependent, platform design that prevents lock-ins while remaining accessible across age groups, and interventions that mobilise social capital as a protective factor. Overall, the thesis offers a framework for analysing mobility–inequality dynamics in digitalising cities globally, with particular relevance for ageing societies undergoing technological transition.