TRAVEL BEHAVIOR ISSUES RELATED TO NEO-TRADITIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - A REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH

The author discusses what we know and what we don't know about how urban form influences travel behavior. She notes that recent research studies consist of one of three types - simulation studies, aggregate studies, and disaggregate studies. Although research suggests that automobile use is lower in traditional neighborhoods, it also suggests that there are numerous questions that need to be answered before we fully understand why, or even before we can be sure that the patterns that we seem to be seeing are truly meaningful. Some of these questions are: What aspects of urban form influence travel choices? What is it about traditional neighborhoods that is leading to the differences in travel choices that we see? How should we measure design? What aspects of urban form influence what aspects of travel? What role do socioeconomic factors, our attitudes and experiences play in our travel choices? Are there geographic differences in the relationship between urban form and travel? The author suggests that we need to ask the question - how urban design influences travel behavior - somewhat differently. This means focusing on how design provides choices for people and not on how design changes behavior and looking at behavior not as an end in itself, but as a measure of the quality of the environment.

• Record URL:
  http://tmiponline.org/Clearinghouse/Items/Travel_Behavior_Issues_Related_to_Neo-Traditional_Developments_A_Review_of_the_Research.aspx
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 200 E Abram, Suite 600
  Arlington, TX  United States  76010

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Handy, S
• Conference:
  • Urban Design, Telecommuting and Travel Forecasting Conference
  • Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
  • Date: 1996-10-27 to 1996-10-30
• Publication Date: 1997-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 33-38
• Monograph Title: URBAN DESIGN, TELECOMMUTING AND TRAVEL FORECASTING CONFERENCE. SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND COMPENDIUM OF PAPERS

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Design; Driver experience; Geography; Knowledge; Mode choice; Neighborhoods; Quality of life; Research; Socioeconomic factors; Travel behavior; Urban areas; Urban development
• Uncontrolled Terms: Urban form
• Old TRIS Terms: Neo-traditional
• Subject Areas: Design; Economics; Geotechnology; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00754923
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-T-98-2,, FHWA-PD-98-027
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 23 1998 12:00AM