This paper examines how job-housing separation and residential stratification emerge following science park development in Tainan, Taiwan, arguing that affordability mismatch-rather than simple supply shortages-is the core mechanism.
The study employs quantitative analysis integrating employment geography, housing market data, and income distribution across three decades (2011–2025). Methods include location quotient analysis of manufacturing/service sectors, housing price index tracking, transaction stability assessment, and local spatial autocorrelation (LISA) of village-level income distribution.
Despite increasing housing supply in the park periphery, a significant price barrier has emerged. High-income residents concentrate in new development zones, while employment populations flow toward established urban centers with better amenities. Core park areas exhibit low transaction rates, high vacancy rates, and qualitative imbalance despite quantitative adequacy.
This research extends jobs-housing balance literature by emphasizing qualitative imbalance and affordability mismatch over quantitative ratios. Findings benefit urban planners, policymakers, and researchers designing sustainable science park governance aligned with SDG 11 and net-zero transition.
Aggregate administrative data precludes individual mobility tracking; household-level verification of commuting patterns and purchase motivations remains necessary.
The study indicates that supply-focused policies alone cannot address job-housing imbalance. Affordable housing provision, mixed-income development incentives, and transit-oriented strategies are essential for equitable park-adjacent communities.
