Friday, March 9, 2012

A STRUCTURAL EQUATIONS MODEL OF LAND USE PATTERNS, LOCATION CHOICE, AND TRAVEL BEHAVIOR IN SEATTLE AND COMPARISON WITH LISBON

by João de Abreu e Silva and Konstadinos G. Goulias

This paper addresses the relationship between travel behavior and land use patterns using a Structural Equations Modeling framework and a more comprehensive modeling than in the past. The proposed model structure in this paper is by design heavily influenced by a model developed for Lisbon (1) to allow comparisons. In that paper the existence of significant effects of land use patterns in travel behavior was found. The travel behavior variables included in the model are multidimensional and comprehend both short term, number of trips by mode and trip scheduling, and long term, home location, car and pass ownership, mobility decisions. The modeled land use variables measure the levels of urban intensity and density, diversity, both in terms of types of uses and the mix between jobs and inhabitants and the public transport supply levels. The land use patterns are described both at the residence and employment zones. In order to explicitly account for self selection bias the land use variables are explicitly modeled as functions of socioeconomic attributes of individuals and their households. The Seattle findings are presented and then compared to the Lisbon findings. Many commonalities between the two environments were found but also many important differences pointing to the need for policy initiatives that are local and tailored to the specific context.

Model strucutre in the above paper, source: João de Abreu e Silva and Konstadinos G. Goulias (2008), A STRUCTURAL EQUATIONS MODEL OF LAND USE PATTERNS, LOCATION CHOICE, AND TRAVEL BEHAVIOR IN SEATTLE AND COMPARISON WITH LISBON, Transportation Research Record

more about Centrality in urban structures:

Re-evaluating the impact of urban form on travel patterns in Europe and North-America

Centrality in networks of urban streets

Spatial Network Analysis of Public Transport Systems: Developing a Strategic Planning Tool to Assess the Congruence of Movement and Urban Structure in Australian Cities

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