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Are young adults car-loving urbanites? Comparing young and older adults’ residential location choice, travel behavior and attitudes

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  • De Vos, Jonas
  • Alemi, Farzad

Abstract

Previous studies mostly indicate that young adults travel less by car compared to their older counterparts, partly due to postponing driving license holding and car ownership. Furthermore, these young adults might also prefer living in urban, low-traffic neighborhoods, further reducing car use. In this study we analyze the residential location choice, travel behavior and travel attitudes of young versus older adults (respectively born after 1984 and before 1985), using 1376 recently relocated residents from the city of Ghent (Belgium). Results indicate that travel mode frequency does not considerably differ between young and older adults, although young adults – compared to older adults – live more often in urban-type neighborhoods. This might be partly explained by young adults’ relatively positive attitudes towards car use and negative attitudes towards walking and low-traffic investments. These attitudes consequently seem to counterbalance the effects of the residential neighborhood on travel mode frequency. The fact that respondents’ travel attitudes are often not in line with their chosen residential neighborhood suggests limited self-selection effects. Results from this study partly contradict earlier findings on young adults’ travel behavior and indicate that further research is needed on the links between travel behavior, attitudes and residential location choice of different age groups.

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  • De Vos, Jonas & Alemi, Farzad, 2020. "Are young adults car-loving urbanites? Comparing young and older adults’ residential location choice, travel behavior and attitudes," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 986-998.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:132:y:2020:i:c:p:986-998
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2020.01.004
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    4. Giovanna Magnani & Beatrice Re, 2020. "Lived experiences about car sharing in young adults: Emerging paradoxes," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2020(2), pages 207-229, September.
    5. Hui Zhang & Li Zhang & Yanjun Liu & Lele Zhang, 2023. "Understanding Travel Mode Choice Behavior: Influencing Factors Analysis and Prediction with Machine Learning Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-20, July.
    6. Nur Sabahiah Abdul Sukor & Surachai Airak & Sitti Asmah Hassan, 2021. "“More Than a Free Bus Ride”—Exploring Young Adults’ Perceptions of Free Bus Services Using a Qualitative Approach: A Case Study of Penang, Malaysia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-18, March.
    7. Houshmand Masoumi, 2021. "Residential Location Choice in Istanbul, Tehran, and Cairo: The Importance of Commuting to Work," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-18, May.
    8. Liu, Jixiang & Wang, Bo & Xiao, Longzhu, 2021. "Non-linear associations between built environment and active travel for working and shopping: An extreme gradient boosting approach," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    9. Bhat, Chandra R. & Mondal, Aupal, 2022. "A New Flexible Generalized Heterogeneous Data Model (GHDM) with an Application to Examine the Effect of High Density Neighborhood Living on Bicycling Frequency," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 244-266.
    10. Yang Wang & Kangmin Wu & Jing Qin & Changjian Wang & Hong’ou Zhang, 2020. "Examining Spatial Heterogeneity Effects of Landscape and Environment on the Residential Location Choice of the Highly Educated Population in Guangzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-20, May.
    11. Shaer, Amin & Haghshenas, Hossein, 2021. "Evaluating the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the older adults’ travel mode choices," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 162-172.

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