Quantifying the Self-Selection Effects in Residential Location Choice with a Structural Equation Model

Land use policy is viewed as a way to mitigate congestion and alleviate greenhouse gas emissions. Many studies have confirmed the reduction effect for vehicle miles traveled (VMT) of compact and mixed land use development. However, debates on self-selection effects have arisen in recent years. Researchers argue that the correlation between land use pattern and VMT may be caused by self-selection of residential location based on a person’s attitude toward traveling. This paper develops an urban form indicator for describing local land use patterns and then establishes a structural equation model (SEM) with VMT, vehicle ownership, and the urban form of residential location estimated simultaneously. Residential self-selection was controlled in two ways in the model: implicitly through the correlated error terms in multiple equations and explicitly through the incorporation of expected VMT in the equation of residential location choice. The model was estimated with household travel survey data collected in 2007 in the Washington, D.C., area. The results showed that land use itself could influence travel behavior after self-selection effects were removed. A comparison of the results of the full SEM results with that of a reference SEM confirmed the existence of self-selection effects. The comparison verified that the VMT reduction effect of land use would be exaggerated without consideration of self-selection, and self-selection effect accounted for a larger part of the total effect in more compact and better mixed development areas. However, the self-selection effect was small compared with the effect of land use itself in the analyzed case.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.3141/2453-19
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780309295468
• Authors:
  • He, Xiang
  • Zhang, Lei
• Publication Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 153–161
• Monograph Title: Planning 2014
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2453
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile ownership; Land use; Residential location; Structural equation modeling; Travel behavior; Travel surveys; Vehicle miles of travel
• Uncontrolled Terms: Location choice; Urban form
• Geographic Terms: Washington (District of Columbia)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01519062
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309295468
• Report/Paper Numbers: 14-5276
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 23 2014 5:49PM