Citation

Ogura LM. Urban Stud. 2010; 47(10): 2173-2193.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Urban Studies Journal Limited, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0042098009356126

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper presents an empirical study of the effects of urban growth controls on the intercity commuting of workers. Growth controls (land use regulations that attempt to restrict population growth and urban sprawl) have increased housing prices and diverted population growth to uncontrolled cities. It has been suggested that resulting changes in local labour supply might stimulate intercity commuting from uncontrolled to controlled cities. To test this hypothesis, a gravity model of commuting flows between places in California is estimated using alternative econometric methods (OLS, Heckman selection and count-data). The possibility of spatial dependence in commuting flows is also taken into consideration. Results suggest larger commuting flows to destination places that restrict residential growth.