Analysis of Core Area Characteristics in Travel Networks Using Block Modeling

This study analyzed regional travel patterns, network structures, and core areas using origin-destination (OD) data based on travel volume, to aid policies that address the concentration of resources in South Korea’s capital region. To identify the differences between passenger and freight travel, the functional regional structure of the network was analyzed using block modeling, while weighted centrality was examined to extract core cities from a polycentric urban perspective. Additionally, a multiple regression analysis was conducted to compare the factors influencing the core areas of passenger and freight flows. The findings are as follows: (1) Freight travel is more active between regions compared with passenger travel, suggesting that freight travel primarily relies on long-distance movement. (2) For passenger travel, geographically central cities emerged as core areas, whereas for freight travel, peripheral cities were identified as the major hubs. (3) Passenger travel was influenced by regional characteristics, industry, and infrastructure, whereas freight travel was primarily affected by regional characteristics, infrastructure, and land use patterns. Particularly, population density and industrial facilities significantly impacted both passenger and freight travel. Therefore, this study highlights the distinct characteristics of passenger and freight travel, offering insights to promote balanced development.