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The Nature of Urban Growth and the Commuting Transition: Endless Sprawl or a Growth Wave?

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  • Selima Sultana
  • Joe Weber

Abstract

The concept of an urban growth wave expanding outwards is used to examine the commuting characteristics of residents of recently developed housing areas within the 50 largest US metropolitan areas at multiple points of time between 1980 and 2000. The results show that not only do areas of recent housing booms have longer commuting times and differing socioeconomic characteristics than older parts of the cities, but this commuting time will subside as these areas age (although average commuting times may rise for the entire metropolitan area). Like a growth wave, a commuting transition move outwards and therefore newer growth areas (or sprawl) should be considered as a temporary stage in the ongoing process of urban growth. Focusing on building cycles avoids the pejorative sprawl label and reconceptualises this sort of low density, auto-dependent urban form as a normal part of the urban growth process.

Suggested Citation

  • Selima Sultana & Joe Weber, 2014. "The Nature of Urban Growth and the Commuting Transition: Endless Sprawl or a Growth Wave?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(3), pages 544-576, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:51:y:2014:i:3:p:544-576
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098013498284
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Selima Sultana & Nastaran Pourebrahim & Hyojin Kim, 2018. "Household Energy Expenditures in North Carolina: A Geographically Weighted Regression Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-22, May.
    3. Hu, Yujie & Wang, Fahui, 2015. "Decomposing excess commuting: a Monte Carlo simulation approach," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 43-52.
    4. Li, Si-ming & Liu, Yi, 2016. "The jobs-housing relationship and commuting in Guangzhou, China: Hukou and dual structure," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 286-294.
    5. Bhat, Chandra R. & Pinjari, Abdul R. & Dubey, Subodh K. & Hamdi, Amin S., 2016. "On accommodating spatial interactions in a Generalized Heterogeneous Data Model (GHDM) of mixed types of dependent variables," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 240-263.
    6. Shekarchian, M. & Moghavvemi, M. & Zarifi, F. & Moghavvemi, S. & Motasemi, F. & Mahlia, T.M.I., 2017. "Impact of infrastructural policies to reduce travel time expenditure of car users with significant reductions in energy consumption," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 327-335.
    7. Zidan Mao & Dick Ettema & Martin Dijst, 2018. "Analysis of travel time and mode choice shift for non-work stops in commuting: case study of Beijing, China," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(3), pages 751-766, May.

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