Existing research has noted a clear interaction between touristification and commercial gentrification; however, the differences between these two coexisting but distinct phenomena require further research. This study uses online big data and quantitative methods to explore the relationship between touristification and commercial gentrification. Taking Yuzhong District in Chongqing as an example, this study constructs an inter-attraction network based on 1306 itineraries extracted from online travel diaries, develops a method to evaluate community tourism centrality based on network analysis, and examines the correlation between community tourism centrality, touristification, and commercial gentrification. The results suggest that attractions with historical value, unique local landscapes, and mixed functions show greater tourism centrality in the tourist flow network. Attractions with similar themes are more likely to be included in one travel route, and the influence of distance is insignificant at the district level. Communities with higher tourism centrality are clustered in old city areas with a rich historic heritage and have experienced profound commercialisation. Although similar, touristification is primarily a bottom-up process, while commercial gentrification tends to be more involved with the top-down urban planning process. This study contributes to the methodological development of network analysis in tourism research and advances the understanding of the different mechanisms of touristification and commercial gentrification.

Neighbourhood social cohesion has emerged as a prominent concern in urban governance worldwide. As the primary domain of residents’ daily activities, the community life circle contributes to neighbourly interaction and social cohesion. This study investigates the role of space use within the community life circle in promoting social cohesion in Chongqing, China. Through an in-depth activity diary survey and structural equation model analysis, we empirically examine the interplay between community space use, neighbourly interaction, and social cohesion. Our findings suggest that the 15 min community life circle plays a crucial role in residents’ daily lives, particularly among senior residents. However, the contribution of community space use to social cohesion is fully mediated by neighbourly interaction. Furthermore, not all patterns of community space use contribute to social cohesion equally; space use engaged with diverse companions on workdays significantly enhances neighbourly interaction and social cohesion. The study enriches the existing literature by deepening our understanding of the role of the community life circle in fostering socially cohesive and sustainable neighbourhoods.

The publicness of publicly owned public spaces is an important concept that needs further examination, especially in countres like China where most urban public spaces are publicly owned and managed. This case study of Chongqing People’s Square reveals that the transformation of municipal squares’ publicness in reform-era China is closely linked with the country’s shifting political and sociocultural contexts. We argue that despite traditionally valued public ownership and planning-design qualities, the crucial role of governance management in shaping the publicness of publicly owned and managed public space is not yet fully understood.