Relationships between Land Use, Socioeconomic Factors, and Travel Patterns in Britain

Abstract

In this paper I extend the debate about land use and urban form. I contend that many empirical studies that have examined the relationships between land use and travel patterns have omitted to consider the socioeconomic dimension, leading to simplistic views about land use and travel. I report the results of a study into the relationships between land use, socioeconomic characteristics, and travel patterns by using data from national and local travel surveys in Britain. The results of the study show that the variation in travel patterns often owes more to socioeconomic reasons that to land-use characteristics. However, land-use planning may still have a significant effect on influencing travel patterns.