Citation

Bagley M, Mokhtarian P. Transp. Traffic Theory 1999; 14: 735-758.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Publisher varies)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The importance of attitudinal and lifestyle variables to residential neighborhood choice for 492 residents of three San Francisco Bay Area neighborhoods was investigated. One neighborhood was classified as traditional and the other two as suburban. Consistent with expectations, the mean scores on the pro-high density, pro-environment, pro-pricing, and pro-alternatives attitudinal factors were significantly higher for traditional neighborhood residents than for suburban residents. On lifestyle dimensions, traditional neighborhood residents were significantly more likely to be culture-lovers, and less likely to be nest-builders and altruists, than the suburban residents. These seven factors, together with three sociodemographic variables (number of children under age 16, number of vehicles, and years lived in the Bay Area - all positively associated with the suburban neighborhoods), were significant in the final binary logit model of residential neighborhood choice. The collective contribution of the attitudinal/lifestyle factors provides support for the usefulness of this approach to residential choice modeling. In particular, it is suggested that this approach will help illuminate the policy-relevant question as to whether observed differences in travel behavior are induced by the land use configuration of the neighborhood itself, or are derived from intrinsic propensities for different travel choices. Evidence is mounting that the second hypothesized mechanism is stronger: that is, that as an explanation for travel behavior, neighborhood type tends to act as a proxy for the "true" explanatory variables with which it is strongly associated, namely, attitudinal and lifestyle predispositions.