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The land use for the deceased is not only for the dead but also for the living relatives. It competes with land use for living populations in urban areas through occupying a specific space of land. This article looks at this shared interest in humankind by mapping the land use for the deceased in the mid-twentieth century and modern Beijing and address the sustainability of future land use for dead in Beijing. Specifically, it clarifies the change of its area and location in the urban–regional structure and also considers the background factors. In the 1930s, the spatial distribution of cemeteries in the mid-twentieth century was mapped using the old topographic maps and also mainly using city government materials for modern times. A comparison of land use between the two periods shows that the spatial land use for the deceased continues to be the characteristics of traditional funeral values, Feng Shui philosophy, spatial separation of the dead, and the population, such as public cemeteries surrounding the built-up area. The city government reduced the pressure on land resources by encouraging land-saving burial such as undersea burial, which affects the value of funerals for citizens, resulting in an area of cemetery per urban population.

A summary of the diffusion and development of time-geography in East Asia, specifically in Japan and China, is presented in this article. Previous studies have provided reviews of time-geographic research and spacetime behaviour research in both countries. Few studies, however, have told the story about how and why timegeography diffused into East Asia. By showing and analysing the academic life paths of Yoshio Arai and Yanwei Chai, we conclude that the development of time-geography in Japan and China goes hand in hand with their academic progress. Moreover, the interactions within their academic life paths mark some key events that promoted time-geography significantly. The similarities and differences between their academic life paths are also analysed in this article. Both scholars shared some common research topics, such as childcare problems, urban spatial structures and socioeconomic transformations, which were also the most prominent characteristics of time-geography in East Asia. In addition, the socioeconomic backgrounds of their academic life paths are also quite similar, which reflects the close relationship between time-geography and societal needs. Finally, this article discusses the effectiveness and disadvantages of the academic life path method, as the method has proven to be an important tool in analysing the role that key scholars play in promoting a certain discipline. In conclusion, the diffusion and development of time-geography in East Asia can hardly have happened without both individual scholars’ hard work and the exchange and cooperation activities between scholars.

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