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In the context of the global construction of low-carbon cities and residents’ pursuit of healthy living, the improvement in the urban walking environment has gradually been emphasized in the field of planning and transportation research. Using Harbin, China, as an example, this paper combines gradient boosting decision trees (GBDTs) and impact-asymmetry analysis (IAA) methods to explore the differences in residents’ preferences for the pedestrian environment needs in old and new urban areas, analyze the asymmetric relationship between walking environment factors and overall satisfaction, and provide a sound basis for the renewal and reconstruction of the walking environment in old urban areas and the improvement of the walking environment in new urban areas. The factors affecting the pedestrian environment in the old and new urban areas are similar and different, with the aesthetics and safety and the aesthetics and comfort of the pedestrian environment having a greater impact on the old and new urban areas, respectively. According to the results of the IAA, the old city should focus on improving green landscaping, street furniture, the uncivilized behavior of pedestrians, pavement encroachment, barrier-free facilities, and the speed of motor vehicles; the new city should focus on improving the building facade effect, the uncivilized behavior of pedestrians, and green landscaping.

Bus stop is an essential component for transit trips. Few studies have emphasized how stop amenities contribute to rider satisfaction with the waiting environment. Using the 2019 data from Harbin, China, this study employed asymmetric importance-performance analysis to identify the non-linear associations between stop amenities and rider satisfaction with the waiting area. We found that trashcans, comfort while waiting, and security cameras affect rider satisfaction only when they perform poorly; safety while waiting contributes to satisfaction only when it exceeds rider expectation; while other attributes tested here have linear associations with rider satisfaction. The results further showed that, to enhance rider satisfaction, transit agencies should prioritize improving trashcans and comfort while waiting, followed by shelters, advertisement infrastructure, and benches. We also compared these results with conventional importance-performance analysis and highlighted the importance of asymmetricity in transit satisfaction research.

Harbin, China, has a large population density and a large number of motor vehicles. To alleviate traffic congestion, based on the survey data of bike-sharing riders in the new and old urban areas of Harbin in May 2022, this paper uses an impact-asymmetric analysis and gradient enhancement decision tree to analyse the asymmetric relationship between bike-sharing travel environment elements and cyclists’ satisfaction, and the optimisation strategy for the bike-sharing riding environment was obtained so that more residents can choose to ride. This research shows that the infrastructure of the motorway in the old urban area had the greatest impact on the overall satisfaction, while the travel quality of the shared bikes in the new urban area had the greatest impact on the overall satisfaction. In addition, due to the differences in urban environments and satisfaction, planning directions are different when satisfying cyclists in the new and old urban areas. The old urban area should emphasise cycling comfort and road coherence to provide a good travel environment; however, the new urban area should focus on the operation of shared bikes to meet the needs of cyclists. Therefore, future research should formulate refined improvement strategies for different regions.

The difficulty of travel for the elderly is a challenge for urban management. Quantifying the satisfaction of public transport services from the perspective of the elderly is a people-oriented scientific research method. Based on the survey data of 2019 and 2020 and by selecting the interview data of people over retirement age before analyzing the non-linear relationship between bus service elements and elderly satisfaction by the impact-asymmetry analysis and gradient boosting decision trees, the optimization strategy of ground public transportation for the elderly in Harbin was obtained. The results show that the following five factors have the greatest impact on overall satisfaction, namely, site broadcasting, complaint handling, awning facilities, driver driving habits, and the punctuality of bus operation. Among them, “awning,” the “punctuality of bus operation,” and “drivers’ driving habits” should be given priority to improve. The conclusion of this study provides a theoretical basis for the accurate optimization of public transport services.

The literature offers ample evidence on the associations between transit attributes and rider satisfaction. However, their asymmetric relationships are often overlooked. Few studies emphasize the attributes critical to choice and captive riders in developing countries. This study employs an impact asymmetry analysis to explore the correlates of bus satisfaction of choice and captive riders in Harbin, China. Most service attributes have asymmetric associations with overall satisfaction of both choice and captive riders. The waiting area, driver’s operating behavior, complaint handling, and stop announcement are critical to overall satisfaction of both choice and captive riders. However, planners should know that, because of the asymmetricity, planning goals differ when trying to satisfy choice and captive riders. Furthermore, they should emphasize convenience and comfort to satisfy captive riders and focus on bus availability to incentivize choice riders. Future studies should consider the non-linear associations and investigate the varying needs of different population groups.