Built environment and modal choice; a case study

• Autores: Riera, Alicia; Depiante, Violeta
• Año de publicación: 2014
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: documento de conferencia
• Materia: Travel; Eleccion modal; Mobility; Neuquen; Car; Bike; Walk
• Institución: Universidad Nacional de Córdoba

Fil: Riera, Alicia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Formación en Administración Pública; Argentina.
Fil: Depiante, Violeta. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.
Compact, high density and mixed-used urban environments can exert a strong influence on the way people choose to travel. Very few studies, if any, have taken place in the developing world, particularly at the local scale. This paper reports on the relationship between the built environment and modal choice focusing mainly on three of its dimensions: density, diversity, and design. Such associations can provide urban and transportation professionals with valuable tools to assist them in policy appraisal and decision making. In order to analyze the relationship between modal choice and different measures of the built environment we use mobility and associated socio demographic data contained in the household travel survey performed in the city of Neuquen, Argentina during the year 2008. Urban environment variables are characterized for each of the zones in which the city was divided for the O-D survey. Generalized costs are considered as well. Modal split models are applied to assess the influence that built environment variables exert over the individual decision of traveling by car, ride transit, walk or bike. Dense, mixedused environments favor the decision to walk or bike to nearby destinations, discouraging private car use. Such environments also encourage the use of transit. Theoretical shortcomings, mixed and conflicting results and lack of consensus regarding methodological and variable measurement procedures are the main features of this trend of research. The analysis of a local case helps to clarify some of these points while widening the background for future research in an area that so far is limited to foreign experience. Our findings restate the importance of urban policies with regards to sustainable transportation.
Fil: Riera, Alicia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Formación en Administración Pública; Argentina.
Fil: Depiante, Violeta. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.
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