IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envirb/v38y2011i6p1071-1084.html

The Effects of Sprawl on Private-Vehicle Commuting Distances and Times

Author

Listed:
  • Edmund J Zolnik

    (School of Public Policy, George Mason University, 3351 Fairfax Drive, M5 3B1, Arlington, VA 22201, USA)

Abstract

Sprawl is a well-known consequence of the suburbanization of the United States population. However, only recently have scholars shown interest in the effects of sprawl on transportation outcomes. For example, little research on how sprawl affects private-vehicle commuting distances and times is evident in the literature. To explore further the relationship between sprawl and private-vehicle commuting distances and times, a multilevel approach is adopted. Using microdata for households and macrodata for Metropolitan Statistical Areas, multilevel models of the effects of four dimensions of sprawl on commuting distances and times are estimated for private-vehicle commuters. Results show that shorter-distance, private-vehicle commutes are associated with lower density, more centeredness, and better accessibility, while shorter-time, private-vehicle commutes are associated with more centeredness. Overall, results point toward centralizing employment as the urban planning policy most likely to reduce private-vehicle commuting times, if only modestly.

Suggested Citation

  • Edmund J Zolnik, 2011. "The Effects of Sprawl on Private-Vehicle Commuting Distances and Times," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 38(6), pages 1071-1084, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:38:y:2011:i:6:p:1071-1084
    DOI: 10.1068/b35105
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/b35105
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/b35105?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Genevieve Giuliano & Kenneth A. Small, 1993. "Is the Journey to Work Explained by Urban Structure?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 30(9), pages 1485-1500, November.
    2. Danielle Snellen & Aloys Borgers & Harry Timmermans, 2002. "Urban Form, Road Network Type, and Mode Choice for Frequently Conducted Activities: A Multilevel Analysis Using Quasi-Experimental Design Data," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 34(7), pages 1207-1220, July.
    3. Maarten Van Ham & Pieter Hooimeijer & Clara H. Mulder, 2001. "Urban Form and Job Access: Disparate Realities in the Randstad," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 92(2), pages 231-246, May.
    4. Tim Schwanen & Frans M. Dieleman & Martin Dijst, 2004. "The Impact of Metropolitan Structure on Commute Behavior in the Netherlands: A Multilevel Approach," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(3), pages 304-333, September.
    5. Andrew J. Plantinga & Stephanie Bernell, 2007. "The Association Between Urban Sprawl And Obesity: Is It A Two‐Way Street?," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(5), pages 857-879, December.
    6. Muniz, Ivan & Galindo, Anna, 2005. "Urban form and the ecological footprint of commuting. The case of Barcelona," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(4), pages 499-514, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yuyao Ye & Changjian Wang & Yuling Zhang & Kangmin Wu & Qitao Wu & Yongxian Su, 2017. "Low-Carbon Transportation Oriented Urban Spatial Structure: Theory, Model and Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-16, December.
    2. Wesley E. Marshall & Eric Dumbaugh, 2020. "Revisiting the relationship between traffic congestion and the economy: a longitudinal examination of U.S. metropolitan areas," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 275-314, February.
    3. Walks, Alan, 2018. "Driving the poor into debt? Automobile loans, transport disadvantage, and automobile dependence," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 137-149.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tae-Hyoung Tommy Gim, 2017. "Full Random Coefficients Multilevel Modeling of the Relationship between Land Use and Trip Time on Weekdays and Weekends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-26, October.
    2. Andrea CIRILLI & Paolo VENERI, 2010. "Spatial Structure and CO2 Emissions Due to Commuting: an Analysis on Italian Urban Areas," Working Papers 353, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    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. Aguiléra, Anne & Voisin, Marion, 2014. "Urban form, commuting patterns and CO2 emissions: What differences between the municipality’s residents and its jobs?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 243-251.
    5. Zhiyuan Yao & Changjoo Kim, 2019. "The Changes of Urban Structure and Commuting: An Application to Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 42(1), pages 3-30, January.
    6. Mei Zhang & Jia Tang & Jun Gao, 2023. "Examining the Effects of Built Environments and Individual Characteristics on Commuting Time under Spatial Heterogeneity: An Empirical Study in China Using HLM," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-20, August.
    7. Daniel G Chatman, 2009. "Residential Choice, the Built Environment, and Nonwork Travel: Evidence Using New Data and Methods," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 41(5), pages 1072-1089, May.
    8. Mathieu Charron, 2007. "From Excess Commuting to Commuting Possibilities: More Extension to the Concept of Excess Commuting," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 39(5), pages 1238-1254, May.
    9. Tae-Hyoung Gim, 2012. "A meta-analysis of the relationship between density and travel behavior," Transportation, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 491-519, May.
    10. Natalia Presman & Arie Arnon, 2006. "Commuting patterns in Israel 1991-2004," Bank of Israel Working Papers 2006.04, Bank of Israel.
    11. Zhang, Bin & Xin, Qingyao & Chen, Siyuan & Yang, Zhiying & Wang, Zhaohua, 2024. "Urban spatial structure and commuting-related carbon emissions in China: Do monocentric cities emit more?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    12. García-Palomares, Juan Carlos, 2010. "Urban sprawl and travel to work: the case of the metropolitan area of Madrid," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 197-213.
    13. Sandow, Erika, 2008. "Commuting behaviour in sparsely populated areas: evidence from northern Sweden," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 14-27.
    14. Yanchun Yi & Sisi Ma & Weijun Guan & Ke Li, 2017. "An Empirical Study on the Relationship between Urban Spatial Form and CO 2 in Chinese Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-12, April.
    15. Natalia Presman & Arie Arnon, 2000. "Commuting Patterns in Israel," Regional and Urban Modeling 283600076, EcoMod.
    16. Kees Maat & Bert van Wee & Dominic Stead, 2005. "Land Use and Travel Behaviour: Expected Effects from the Perspective of Utility Theory and Activity-Based Theories," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 32(1), pages 33-46, February.
    17. Zolnik, Edmund J., 2012. "The costs of sprawl for private-vehicle commuters," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 23-30.
    18. Anne Aguilera & Dominique Mignot, 2007. "Formes urbaines et migrations alternantes. Les enseignements d'une comparaison des aires urbaines de Lille, Lyon et Marseille," Post-Print halshs-00175792, HAL.
    19. Mercado, Ruben & Páez, Antonio, 2009. "Determinants of distance traveled with a focus on the elderly: a multilevel analysis in the Hamilton CMA, Canada," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 65-76.
    20. Tae-Hyoung Tommy Gim, 2018. "An Analysis of the Relationship between Land Use and Weekend Travel: Focusing on the Internal Capture of Trips," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-17, February.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:38:y:2011:i:6:p:1071-1084. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.