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Should we abandon activity type analysis? Redefining activities by their salient attributes

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  • Sean Doherty

Abstract

This paper poses a challenge and begins a search. The challenge is to reconsider the usefulness of traditional activity types (“work”, “shopping”, etc.) in the understanding and modelling of travel behaviour. The search is for the more salient attributes of activities that may serve to better explain complex travel behaviours—such as activity scheduling and tour formation. In particular, this paper focuses on explicit measures of the spatial, temporal and interpersonal flexibility of activities, along with several traditional attributes (frequency, duration, involved persons, travel time, and location). Data from a recent in-depth week-long activity scheduling survey was used to define and compare these attributes. Results show that considerable variability in the attributes between and within traditional activity groups is evident. This casts considerable uncertainty on assumptions that statically assign levels of spatial, temporal, and interpersonal flexibility to any given activity type. A Principal Components Analysis further revealed eight new distinct clusters of activities that share like attributes. The relative role of each attribute in each component is examined, and subjective interpretations emerged (e.g., “Long and frequent”, “Space and time flexible” “Social networking”). The implications of these results for future model development and research are discussed. Future research should continue to expand the search for salient attributes and link them more directly to decision processes. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006

Suggested Citation

  • Sean Doherty, 2006. "Should we abandon activity type analysis? Redefining activities by their salient attributes," Transportation, Springer, vol. 33(6), pages 517-536, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:33:y:2006:i:6:p:517-536
    DOI: 10.1007/s11116-006-0001-9
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    1. Ryuichi Kitamura & Cynthia Chen & Ram Pendyala & Ravi Narayanan, 2000. "Micro-simulation of daily activity-travel patterns for travel demand forecasting," Transportation, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 25-51, February.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Shao, Rui & Derudder, Ben & Yang, Yongchun & Witlox, Frank, 2023. "The association between transit accessibility and space-time flexibility of shopping travel: On the moderating role of ICT use," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    3. Elldér, Erik, 2014. "Residential location and daily travel distances: the influence of trip purpose," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 121-130.
    4. Auld, Joshua & Mohammadian, Abolfazl (Kouros) & Doherty, Sean T., 2009. "Modeling activity conflict resolution strategies using scheduling process data," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 386-400, May.
    5. Akar, Gulsah & Clifton, Kelly J. & Doherty, Sean T., 2012. "Redefining activity types: Who participates in which leisure activity?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(8), pages 1194-1204.
    6. Yaxuan Zhang & Chunjiang Li & Ying Song & Yanwei Chai & Yingling Fan, 2024. "Personalizing the dichotomy of fixed and flexible activities in everyday life: deriving prism anchors from GPS-enabled survey data," Transportation, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 1063-1088, June.
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    8. Mattioli, Giulio & Anable, Jillian & Vrotsou, Katerina, 2016. "Car dependent practices: Findings from a sequence pattern mining study of UK time use data," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 56-72.
    9. Christa Hubers & Tim Schwanen & Martin Dijst, 2008. "Ict And Temporal Fragmentation Of Activities: An Analytical Framework And Initial Empirical Findings," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 99(5), pages 528-546, December.
    10. Sivaramakrishnan Srinivasan & Chandra Bhat, 2008. "An exploratory analysis of joint-activity participation characteristics using the American time use survey," Transportation, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 301-327, May.
    11. Ruiz, Tomás & Habib, Khandker Nurul, 2016. "Scheduling decision styles on leisure and social activities," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 304-317.
    12. Ron Buliung & Matthew Roorda & Tarmo Remmel, 2008. "Exploring spatial variety in patterns of activity-travel behaviour: initial results from the Toronto Travel-Activity Panel Survey (TTAPS)," Transportation, Springer, vol. 35(6), pages 697-722, November.
    13. Dardas, Anastassios Z. & Williams, Allison & Scott, Darren, 2020. "Carer-employees’ travel behaviour: Assisted-transport in time and space," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    14. Shen, Yue & Kwan, Mei-Po & Chai, Yanwei, 2013. "Investigating commuting flexibility with GPS data and 3D geovisualization: a case study of Beijing, China," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 1-11.
    15. Shen, Yue & Chai, Yanwei & Kwan, Mei-Po, 2015. "Space–time fixity and flexibility of daily activities and the built environment: A case study of different types of communities in Beijing suburbs," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 90-99.
    16. Sylvie Occelli & Luca Staricco, 2009. "Learning about Urban Mobility: Experiences with a Multiagent-System Model," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 36(5), pages 772-786, October.
    17. Dogterom, Nico & Ettema, Dick & Dijst, Martin, 2018. "Activity-travel adaptations in response to a tradable driving credits scheme," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 79-88.
    18. Crawford, Fiona, 2020. "Segmenting travellers based on day-to-day variability in work-related travel behaviour," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    19. Khandker Habib & Eric Miller, 2008. "Modelling daily activity program generation considering within-day and day-to-day dynamics in activity-travel behaviour," Transportation, Springer, vol. 35(4), pages 467-484, July.
    20. Langerudi, Mehran Fasihozaman & Javanmardi, Mahmoud & Shabanpour, Ramin & Rashidi, Taha Hossein & Mohammadian, Abolfazl, 2017. "Incorporating in-home activities in ADAPTS activity-based framework: A sequential conditional probability approach," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 48-60.
    21. Gulsah Akar & Kelly Clifton & Sean Doherty, 2011. "Discretionary activity location choice: in-home or out-of-home?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 101-122, January.

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