Who are long distance commuters in Italy? Profiling LDC in Milan Urban Region

Abstract

This research focuses on long-distance commuters (LDC) in Italy, defined as people who travel long distances for work-related reasons, mainly to avoid residential mobility. These mobility practices, which are still quantitatively insignificant compared to daily commuting flows, can be correlated to socio-economic and lifestyle transformations, resulting from the combined effects of changes in the labour market, family and personal attitudes and constraints, and the supply of transport and communication networks. This paper frames long-distance commuting on a national level to describe the relevance and the geography of this phenomenon in Italy, offering an in-depth analysis of long-distance work-related travel in the Milan Urban Region (North of Italy) to understand the profiles of LDCs, the factors influencing this mobility practice, and its evolution over time. To address these concerns, a series of quantitative analyses are combined with complementary qualitative survey data acquired from interviews with a sample of LDCs. This approach puts in evidence emerging needs, times, and conditions of this practice and helps to define some key LDC profiles that may orient more inclusive and sustainable mobility policies.