IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/cdl/itsdav/qt9wb8h0j7.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Cross-sectional and Quasi-panel Explorations of the Connection between the Built Environment and Auto Ownership

Author

Listed:
  • Cao, XinYu
  • Mokhtarian, Patricia L
  • Handy, Susan L

Abstract

Auto ownership is a critical mediating link in the connection between the built environment and travel behavior: the built environment presumably influences auto ownership, which in turn impacts travel behavior. However, the way in which individual elements of the built environment affect auto ownership choices is far from understood. Further, residential self-selection may confound the interaction between the built environment and auto ownership. And the absence of panel data impedes our understanding of the causal relationships. Using a survey of 1682 respondents in Northern California, this study applied ordered probit and static-score modeling techniques to investigate the causal link from the built environment to auto ownership in both cross-sectional and quasi-panel contexts. Through variable selection in cross-sectional analysis, we found that individuals’ attitudes regarding residential neighborhood and travel are more strongly associated with their auto ownership decision than is the built environment per se. Specifically, when general preferences for various neighborhood traits were allowed to enter the model, they drove out from the model the (perceived) measure of the same trait for the neighborhood of current residence, a pattern suggesting that the observed correlation between neighborhood characteristics and auto ownership is primarily a result of self-selection. On the other hand, the quasi-panel results indicate that some built environment elements such as outdoor spaciousness and mixed land use are causes of auto ownership (remaining even after attitudes were allowed to enter the model), but their effects are marginal. In contrast, the strong influence of socio-demographics suggests that households’ auto ownership decisions are fundamentally based on their mobility needs and purchasing power. Given the mixed findings, this study does not definitively confirm a causal relationship between the built environment and auto ownership. However, it provides encouraging evidence that land-use policies designed to reduce auto ownership and use will lead to a marginal reduction in auto ownership.

Suggested Citation

  • Cao, XinYu & Mokhtarian, Patricia L & Handy, Susan L, 2007. "Cross-sectional and Quasi-panel Explorations of the Connection between the Built Environment and Auto Ownership," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt9wb8h0j7, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    • Handle: RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt9wb8h0j7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9wb8h0j7.pdf;origin=repeccitec
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Patricia L. Mokhtarian & Michael N. Bagley, 2002. "The impact of residential neighborhood type on travel behavior: A structural equations modeling approach," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 36(2), pages 279-297.
    2. Bhat, Chandra R. & Pulugurta, Vamsi, 1998. "A comparison of two alternative behavioral choice mechanisms for household auto ownership decisions," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 61-75, January.
    3. Mcfadden, Daniel L., 2002. "The Path to Discrete-Choice Models," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt87h9p7j1, University of California Transportation Center.
    4. Handy, Susan L., 1992. "Regional Versus Local Accessibility: Neo-Traditional Development and Its Implications for Non-work Travel," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt7gs0p1nc, University of California Transportation Center.
    5. I Salomon & M Ben-Akiva, 1983. "The Use of the Life-Style Concept in Travel Demand Models," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 15(5), pages 623-638, May.
    6. Kenworthy, Jeffrey R. & Laube, Felix B., 1999. "Patterns of automobile dependence in cities: an international overview of key physical and economic dimensions with some implications for urban policy," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 33(7-8), pages 691-723.
    7. Cervero, Robert, 1996. "Mixed land-uses and commuting: Evidence from the American Housing Survey," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 361-377, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cao, Xinyu, 2006. "The Causal Relationship between the Built Environment and Personal Travel Choice: Evidence from Northern California," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt07q5p340, University of California Transportation Center.
    2. Cao, XinYu, 2007. "The Causal Relationship between the Built Environment and Personal Travel Choice: Evidence from Northern California," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt1n90z8h8, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    3. Thomas Klinger & Martin Lanzendorf, 2016. "Moving between mobility cultures: what affects the travel behavior of new residents?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 243-271, March.
    4. Veronique Acker & Frank Witlox, 2011. "Commuting trips within tours: how is commuting related to land use?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 465-486, May.
    5. Schwanen, Tim & Mokhtarian, Patricia L., 2005. "What if You Live in the Wrong Neighborhood? The Impact of Residential Neighborhood Type Dissonance on Distance Traveled," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt5hh713d6, University of California Transportation Center.
    6. Metin Senbil & Ryuichi Kitamura & Jamilah Mohamad, 2009. "Residential location, vehicle ownership and travel in Asia: a comparative analysis of Kei-Han-Shin and Kuala Lumpur metropolitan areas," Transportation, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 325-350, May.
    7. Li, Jingjing & Kim, Changjoo & Sang, Sunhee, 2018. "Exploring impacts of land use characteristics in residential neighborhood and activity space on non-work travel behaviors," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 141-147.
    8. Chetan Doddamani & M. Manoj, 2023. "Analysis of the influences of built environment measures on household car and motorcycle ownership decisions in Hubli-Dharwad cities," Transportation, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 205-243, February.
    9. Scheiner, Joachim & Holz-Rau, Christian, 2013. "A comprehensive study of life course, cohort, and period effects on changes in travel mode use," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 167-181.
    10. Souche, Stéphanie, 2009. "Un exemple d’estimation de la demande de transport urbain," Revue d'économie régionale et urbaine, Editions NecPlus, vol. 2009(04), pages 759-779, December.
    11. Pierre Filion, 2001. "Suburban Mixed-Use Centres and Urban Dispersion: What Difference do they Make?," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 33(1), pages 141-160, January.
    12. Spears, Steven & Houston, Douglas & Boarnet, Marlon G., 2013. "Illuminating the unseen in transit use: A framework for examining the effect of attitudes and perceptions on travel behavior," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 40-53.
    13. Jen-Jia Lin & An-Tsei Yang, 2009. "Structural Analysis of How Urban Form Impacts Travel Demand: Evidence from Taipei," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 46(9), pages 1951-1967, August.
    14. Sallis, James F. & Frank, Lawrence D. & Saelens, Brian E. & Kraft, M. Katherine, 2004. "Active transportation and physical activity: opportunities for collaboration on transportation and public health research," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 249-268, May.
    15. Wiersma, J. & Bertolini, L. & Straatemeier, T., 2017. "Adapting spatial conditions to reduce car dependency in mid-sized ‘post growth’ European city regions: The case of South Limburg, Netherlands," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 62-69.
    16. Jen-Jia Lin & Hsiao-Te Chang, 2010. "Built Environment Effects on Children’s School Travel in Taipai: Independence and Travel Mode," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 47(4), pages 867-889, April.
    17. Mokhtarian, Patricia L. & Cao, Xinyu, 2008. "Examining the impacts of residential self-selection on travel behavior: A focus on methodologies," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 204-228, March.
    18. Etminani-Ghasrodashti, Roya & Ardeshiri, Mahyar, 2015. "Modeling travel behavior by the structural relationships between lifestyle, built environment and non-working trips," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 506-518.
    19. Pierre Filion & Kathleen McSpurren & Brad Appleby, 2006. "Wasted Density? The Impact of Toronto's Residential-Density-Distribution Policies on Public-Transit Use and Walking," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 38(7), pages 1367-1392, July.
    20. Macfarlane, Gregory S. & Garrow, Laurie A. & Mokhtarian, Patricia L., 2015. "The influences of past and present residential locations on vehicle ownership decisions," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 186-200.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Engineering; UCD-ITS-RP-07-08;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt9wb8h0j7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Lisa Schiff (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/itucdus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.