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The role of peer effects and the built environment on individual travel behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Changjoo Kim
  • Olivier Parent
  • Rainer vom Hofe

Abstract

While urban planners and transportation geographers have long emphasized the importance of social influences on individual travel behavior, many challenges remain to bridge the gap between complex conceptual frameworks and operational behavioral models. Improving the ability of models to forecast activity-travel behavior can provide greater insights into urban planning issues. This paper proposes a new model framework by evaluating how individual travel behavior is influenced by inter- and intra-household interactions. The built environment, land-use mix, and social interactions influence household member choices among different transport modes. We propose a spatial multivariate Tobit specification that allows each individual to face a set of potential destinations and transport modes and takes into consideration the travel behavior of other household members and nearby neighbors. Using the Greater Cincinnati Household Travel Survey, we analyzed more than 37,000 trips made by 1968 individuals located in Hamilton County in Cincinnati, Ohio. Results reveal that social influences and the built environment have a strong impact on the willingness to walk and to cycle.

Suggested Citation

  • Changjoo Kim & Olivier Parent & Rainer vom Hofe, 2018. "The role of peer effects and the built environment on individual travel behavior," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 45(3), pages 452-469, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:45:y:2018:i:3:p:452-469
    DOI: 10.1177/2399808317740354
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Xinyue Ye & Xingjian Liu, 2018. "Integrating social networks and spatial analyses of the built environment," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 45(3), pages 395-399, May.
    4. Lin, Tao & Guan, Xiaodong & Wang, Donggen, 2024. "How does social network mediate/moderate the effects of the built environment on travel behavior?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    5. Xuan Zhang & Lan Mu, 2020. "The perceived importance and objective measurement of walkability in the built environment rating," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 47(9), pages 1655-1671, November.
    6. Khordagui, Nagwa, 2019. "Parking prices and the decision to drive to work: Evidence from California," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 479-495.
    7. Jianhua Zhang & Xiaolong Liu & Dimitris Ballas, 2023. "Spatial and relational peer effects on environmental behavioral imitation," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 25(4), pages 575-599, October.

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