This study uses mobile phone signaling data from 2018 to 2022 in Beijing to examine and compare intra-urban jobs-housing relocation behaviors among commuters before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. An event study design captures the pandemic's long-term effects. Unexpectedly, the pandemic decelerated suburbanization in young, middle-income home relocators but encouraged it in older, high-income ones, potentially preserving inner-city vitality. Employment decentralization accelerated, possibly breaking the monocentric city structure. The pandemic also accelerated inverse jobs-housing separation, potentially leading to a greener city. Policymakers are urged to leverage these findings for urban improvement and sustainability.

Pengjun Zhao, Yukun Gao