Activity Diary Data Research Articles

COVID-19 Pandemic and Transformation of Activity Space: Implications for Urban Area Planning in the Yogyakarta Metropolitan Area

Abstract Travel patterns and spatial behavior of people in the Yogyakarta Metropolitan Area during the COVID-19 pandemic have experienced adjustments due to restrictions on out-of-home activities. Spatial behavior has information on the coordinates of the location of the activity visited, and the area that represents this behavior is called activity space. Exploration of activity space may play an essential part in urban area planning. This study utilizes travel activity diary data before and during the pandemic for change analysis with a quantitative approach. Data before the pandemic used the Probability Proportional to Size method and random selection of respondents. While re-measurement during the pandemic, respondents were collected using convenience sampling on 109 individuals willing to re-engage in the survey while still considering population size. The generalization of findings applies to workers and part of middle-income families. A literature review strengthens the empirical findings and explores their implications. The findings indicate that the coverage area for activities has shrunk due to the pandemic, with most activity places falling within a short distance of one’s residence and from one another. The consistency of these findings in the future has implications for providing more flexible, multifunctional, and decentralized spaces equipped with safe and comfortable paths for active transportation modes and integrated with reliable communication technology services.

‘I choose the quiet roads’: Everyday mobility in later life on the urban–rural continuum of the Northern Netherlands

The physical and cognitive impairments that come with age can have a negative impact on everyday mobility. Furthermore, the mobility and transport potential of older adults differs between rural, semi-dense and urban areas. Some comparative research has shown that rural older adults with and without impairments are more disadvantaged than their urban counterparts in terms of their everyday mobility. The aim of this article is to explore the everyday mobility opportunities and barriers that older adults experience on the urban–rural continuum of the Northern Netherlands, in the context of age-related physical and cognitive impairments. For this qualitative study, we collected activity diary data and conducted in-depth interviews with 17 older adults. All participants engaged in two rounds of data collection, one in autumn/winter and one in spring/summer. We found that the older adults' everyday movement took place in environments that extended beyond their living environment. Additionally, participants displayed creativity and agency that helped maintain their everyday mobilities and also compensated for their physical and cognitive impairments. In conclusion, there are different opportunities and barriers to everyday mobility in later life on the urban–rural continuum. Solid infrastructure and proximity to amenities will ensure that older adults have agency in their everyday mobility. Ultimately, this research contributes to improving mobility in later life, by opening up discussions on how to transfer the strengths of one spatial setting to another.

Feasibility of using ecological momentary assessment to measure the effects of interactions with pet dogs on psychophysiological reactivity in adolescents with social anxiety.

Adolescence is a key developmental period for the onset of social anxiety, as it is a time of social transitions and stressors. Therefore, it is important to identify protective factors within the environment that can prevent and/or reduce the effects of social anxiety in addition to existing evidence-based treatments. The presence of a supportive pet dog may be one way of reducing the effects of acute social stressors for youth, but these effects have not been tested robustly in real-world settings. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess physiological responses to pet interactions in real-life scenarios among adolescents with social anxiety (n = 37). Results indicated that this protocol was perceived as feasible by youth participants and allowed for integration across different data streams. Participant use of a wearable sensor to collect electrodermal activity was generally successful, with an average of 12 h of data collected per participant. However, the use of a timestamp button on the sensor was not an effective strategy for data collection. These findings suggest that EMA using self-report activity diary data combined with continuous psychophysiological measurement using wearable sensors is generally a feasible person-centered approach for measuring adolescent-dog interactions in a way that maintains ecological validity.

Comparing Physical Activity and Quality of Life of Caregivers of Children With Physical Disabilities and Typically Developing Children.

There are conflicting reports of the level of physical activity (PA) and its relationship to quality of life (QoL) among caregivers of children with physical disabilities (CwPD). In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to compare the PA levels and QoL of two groups of caregivers - a CwPD group and caregivers of typically developing children (CwTD). We included 32 family caregivers in the CwPD group (22 women, 10 men; M age = 42.1, SD = 6.2years) and 32 caregivers in the CwTD group (24 women, 8 men; M age = 42.3, SD = 6.1years). We assessed PA with the International Physical Activity Scale-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and self-reported activity diaries, and we assessed QoL with the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Although the IPAQ scores and sitting times of caregivers in these two groups were not statistically different (p > .05), many parameters of self-reported activity diary data and total energy expenditure were significantly higher in the CwPD than the CwTD group (p < .05, effect size = .53-1.10). The CwPD group reported a lower QoL according to the SF-36 and its sub-scores (p < .05, effect size = .54-.77), and higher PA levels than those in the CwTD group. In the CwPD group, moderate, vigorous, and total PA scores were mildly to moderately associated with the total Qol score, and many of its subscores (r = .36 to .60, p < .05). The lower quality of life observed in CwPD, despite high-intensity physical activity levels, suggested that investigators and care providers should consider QoL in the CwPD group to be multifactorial and that here is a need for caregiver interventions to enhance QoL in this underserved population.

Spatiotemporal-Behavior-Based Microsegregation and Differentiated Community Ties of Residents with Different Types of Housing in Mixed-Housing Neighborhoods: A Case Study of Fuzhou, China

As a kind of urban neighborhood with strong internal heterogeneity, mixed-housing neighborhoods have attracted wide attention from scholars in recent years. Strengthening community ties in mixed-housing neighborhoods is of great significance for increasing neighborhood social capital, cultivating a sense of community, and promoting sustainable development of the neighborhood. The neighborhood activities of residents are an important factor in promoting community ties. However, different housing groups in mixed-housing neighborhoods may have differentiated or even segregated overall daily activities, which may impact their neighborhood activities and call for differentiated planning strategies. In this study, we conduct an empirical study in Fuzhou, China, to identify the spatiotemporal-behavior-based microsegregation and differentiated community ties between residents of different types of housing. The data were collected in 2021 and included residents’ activity diary data and questionnaire data about neighborhood interaction and community ties. Through an analysis of the daily overall activity space and activities within the neighborhood areas, the spatiotemporal-behavior-based social segregation of various housing groups is depicted. Furthermore, a multigroup structural equation modeling method was used to analyze the relationships among residents’ spatiotemporal behaviors, neighborhood interactions, and community ties, and the heterogeneous influence effects across housing groups. The results show that the more residents’ activity spaces overlap with the neighborhood area, the more out-of-home time they spend within the neighborhood, and that the more types of activities are conducted within the neighborhood area, the stronger their community ties are. In addition, neighborhood interaction played a linkage role in the relationships of residents’ spatiotemporal behaviors and community ties. Our research aims to further the understanding of microsegregation at the neighborhood level and provide references for the development of mixed-housing neighborhoods and urban land use.

AirPen: A Wearable Monitor for Characterizing Exposures to Particulate Matter and Volatile Organic Compounds.

Exposure to air pollution is a leading risk factor for disease and premature death, but technologies for assessing personal exposure to particulate and gaseous air pollutants, including the timing and location of such exposures, are limited. We developed a small, quiet, wearable monitor, called the AirPen, to quantify personal exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The AirPen combines physical sample collection (PM onto a filter and VOCs onto a sorbent tube) with a suite of low-cost sensors (for PM, VOCs, temperature, pressure, humidity, light intensity, location, and motion). We validated the AirPen against conventional personal sampling equipment in the laboratory and then conducted a field study to measure at-work and away-from-work exposures to PM2.5 and VOCs among employees at an agricultural facility in Colorado, USA. The resultant sampling and sensor data indicated that personal exposures to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes were dominated by a specific workplace location. These results illustrate how the AirPen can be used to advance our understanding of personal exposure to air pollution as a function of time, location, source, and activity, even in the absence of detailed activity diary data.

Psychological and digital factors of student attitudes towards multitasking

Introduction. Despite the evidence from the cognitive approach that performance decreases under multitasking conditions, multitasking is increasingly seen as an important skill to develop, especially among young people.Aim. The present research aims to reveal personal (personal traits, satisfaction of basic needs) and digital (user activity, combined activity, attitude to technology, digital competence) factors of subjective assessment of multitasking in students and their attitude to multitasking.Methodology and research methods. In the course of the research, 260 students of Moscow universities answered questions about their multitasking and their attitude to it, and then filled out the scales for assessing subjective well-being, attitudes towards learning, personal traits, basic psychological needs, user and combined activity, attitudes to technology, digital competence and the desire for digitalisation of education. The data were processed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation analysis, group comparison methods (Pearson’s Chi-square, Student’s t-test).Results. According to the estimates of the students, they spend almost half of their daytime combining different activities. Most of students consider multitasking as a useful skill and would like to improve it. Higher multitasking scores are associated with greater conscientiousness, openness to experience, competence, positive emotions, as well as technophilia, digital skills. The desire to improve own multitasking is higher among students with a higher level of combined activity, technophilia, technorationality, as well as among students, who higher estimate the opportunities of digitalisation in education. Two out of three students consider multitasking as a useful ability; every second student thinks that multitasking can be developed by training. Multitasking and the desire to improve it are related to the attitude towards multitasking as a trained and developed skill, while the idea of its usefulness or uniqueness is practically not related to psychological and digital factors. Further research may be aimed at revealing relationships between subjective multitasking with activity diary data and experimentally organised multitasking.Scientific novelty. The attitude to multitasking format among young people was investigated from the perspective of a comprehensive approach, which combines personal characteristics and peculiarities of online activity.Practical significance. The peculiarities of students’ attitudes towards multitasking as a personal choice of doing several things simultaneously, reflecting among other things a positive attitude towards multitasking and a desire to develop it, can become a significant component to develop educational programmes, as well as important knowledge to provide interaction between teachers and students under the conditions of digitalisation in education.

How Chinese hukou system shapes ethnic dissimilarity in daily activities: a study of Xining, China

Social differences in China tend to be complicated by the hukou system that ties welfare entitlement to a person's hukou status. There is no exception for the differences between ethnic minorities and majorities in Chinese cities. This study examines the interaction between ethnic dissimilarity and hukou division in urban China. It investigates whether ethnic dissimilarity of people's daily activities manifests more strongly among migrants without a local hukou than among residents with a local hukou. The study presents an empirical analysis in Xining based on population census and activity diary data. Using ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions with cross-model comparison of coefficients to investigate how ethnic dissimilarity of daily activities varies by respondents' hukou status, the analysis yields several findings. The disadvantage of ethnic minorities in activity spaces is further intensified by a marginalized hukou status. Ethnic minorities who are per se migrants without local hukou have lower exposure to ethnic diversity. Ethnic minorities with local hukou participate in fewer religious activities than migrant ethnic minorities without local hukou. By adding a hukou dimension to studies of ethnic dissimilarity, this study enriches our understanding of the multifaceted social divisions in developing countries such as China.

262 Comparing Two Methods for Scoring Wrist Actigraphy to Polysomnography for Estimating Total Sleep Time in Healthy Men

Abstract Introduction This analysis assessed whether manually setting rest (i.e., time in bed) intervals prior to using a proprietary software package (Actiware, version 6.09) to analyze wrist actigraphy data improved estimates of total sleep time (TST) compared to polysomnography (PSG). Methods The Phillips Actiwatch 2 and PSG (reference method) were used to calculate TST on two separate nights in twelve men (age=28.3 ± 5.7). Participants had an 8-hour sleep opportunity on night one and a 5-hour sleep opportunity and on night two. Estimates of TST from actigraphy data were calculated using two scoring methods. For scoring method 1, we allowed the software to automatically choose rest intervals and then applied a proprietary algorithm to calculate TST. For scoring method 2, we manually entered rest intervals using a published decision tree that incorporates activity, light, event marker, and sleep diary data. After the rest intervals were set in method 2, the proprietary algorithm was applied to calculate TST. Mean bias and limits of agreement (LOA) from Bland-Altman plots compared TST derived from both actigraphy scoring methods to PSG estimates. Results On night 1 (n=8) TST measured by PSG was 398.4 ± 40.6 minutes, compared to 395.5 ± 70.9 minutes using actigraphy scoring method 1 and 396 ± 44.5 minutes using scoring method 2. Mean bias was similar when comparing both scoring methods to PSG, but the LOA were wider in method 1 compared to method 2 (method 1 vs. PSG: -2.9 [-110.4, 104.7]; method 2 vs. PSG: -2.4 [-66.5, 61.7]; minutes). On night 2 (n=12) TST determined by PSG was 283.3 ± 11.2 minutes, compared to 302.1 ± 84.4 minutes using actigraphy scoring method 1 and 273.1 ± 14.5 minutes using scoring method 2. Again, LOA for TST estimated by actigraphy scoring method 1 were wider compared to scoring method number 2 (method 1 vs. PSG: 18.8 [-136.9, 174.6]; method 2 vs. PSG: -10.2 [-35.1, 14.8]). Conclusion These data demonstrate that applying a decision tree to manually set time in bed intervals prior to running analyses in the software results in better agreement when estimating TST from wrist actigraphy compared to PSG. Support (if any) UL1RR025780, K23AR070275.

Effects of built environment on activity participation under different space-time constraints: A case study of Guangzhou, China

Conventional facility planning seeks to provide service facilities to meet population demand in an aggregate manner. However, recent studies reveal that the provision of facilities in residential neighborhoods does not necessarily mean easy service access for certain groups. This issue is approached through the lens of space–time constraints in this study, which asserts that because people with different socioeconomic attributes experience different space–time constraints, the effects of the same built environment on actual access can considerably vary. Based on the activity-diary data from 493 respondents in Guangzhou, China, this study conducts a quasi-experiment facilitated by the propensity score matching approach. Residents in low-density suburban areas and those in high-density central city areas are considered as the control and treatment groups, respectively. By comparing the activity-travel behavior between these two groups, this work presents an analysis of the effects of service density improvement on residents’ actual service access. Moreover, the differences of such effects are examined through separate quasi-experiments for residents with the largest, medium and smallest space–time constraints. Residents who originally experience the smallest space–time constraints could further benefit from the enhancement of service density, whereas those who originally suffer from the largest and medium space–time constraints could not. These findings imply that conventional facility planning may not provide equitable outcomes. Therefore, facility planning and management should address and integrate residents’ unequal experiences of space–time constraints into time-sensitive policies (e.g., flextime policies).

Socioeconomic variations and disparity in space–time accessibility in suburban China: A case study of Guangzhou

The concept of conventional place-based accessibility, despite being well researched, tends to ignore people’s space–time constraints arising from mandatory activities (e.g. work and household duties), which confine people’s potential movement and delimit the accessible opportunities. As people with different socioeconomic statuses may have different space–time constraints even while living in similar locations, using the place-based measures could lead to an underestimation of accessibility inequality. This study applies a space–time measure to unravel the disparities in service accessibility in suburban China. Since the late 1970s, suburbanisation in Chinese cities has fostered income inequality and has elevated other dimensions (e.g. institutional status and gender) of disparity within each income class. Within this context, we conduct a case study of suburban neighbourhoods in Guangzhou, based on the activity diary data derived from a home-based questionnaire survey. Findings indicate that the use of a space–time measure effectively captures the disparities in service accessibility among residents in suburban Guangzhou. On the basis of structural equation modelling, we further identify that certain socioeconomic groups (e.g. high-income residents, public sector workers, local hukou holders, male household heads and welfare housing residents) tend to experience fewer space–time constraints from rigid activities, such as work, commuting and household duties, and are thus more advantaged in accessing service facilities. These findings imply that urban planning should address the space–time perspective to promote equal service access for the highly heterogeneous social groups in suburban China and to incorporate time-sensitive policies (e.g. flexitime policies).

Examining Ethnic Exposure through the Perspective of the Neighborhood Effect Averaging Problem: A Case Study of Xining, China.

An increasing number of studies have observed that ignoring individual exposures to non-residential environments in people’s daily life may result in misleading findings in research on environmental exposure. This issue was recognized as the neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP). This study examines ethnic segregation and exposure through the perspective of NEAP. Focusing on Xining, China, it compares the Hui ethnic minorities and the Han majorities. Using 2010 census data and activity diary data collected in 2013, the study found that NEAP exists when examining ethnic exposure. Respondents who live in highly mixed neighborhoods (with high exposures to the other ethnic group) experience lower activity-space exposures because they tend to conduct their daily activities in ethnically less mixed areas outside their home neighborhoods (which are more segregated). By contrast, respondents who live in highly segregated neighborhoods (with low exposures to the other ethnic group) tend to have higher exposures in their activity locations outside their home neighborhoods (which are less segregated). Therefore, taking into account individuals’ daily activities in non-residential contexts in the assessment of environmental exposure will likely lead to an overall tendency towards the mean exposure. Using Tobit models, we further found that specific types of activity places, especially workplaces and parks, contribute to NEAP. Ignoring individual exposures in people’s activity places will most likely result in misleading findings in the measurement of environmental exposure, including ethnic exposure.

The Internet and the space–time flexibility of daily activities: A case study of Beijing, China

Although most existing studies support that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can relax traditional space–time constraints in relation to activities, direct empirical studies that measure the level and influenced extent of such constraints are insufficient. Additionally, the variation and interrelations between spatial and temporal dimensions of fixity constraints are rarely taken into account. This study uses self-reported flexibility from activity diary data to capture two key dimensions of space–time constraints: (1) how the Internet became embedded differently in various types of activities and (2) the interaction relationships between Internet use, temporal flexibility, and spatial flexibility. From 709 respondents in Beijing in 2012, 7-day GPS-facilitated activity diaries were collected and used to assess perceived space–time flexibility and Internet use for each activity. A structural equations model was applied to investigate how Internet use influences the temporal and spatial flexibility of activities, after controlling for individuals’ socio-economic attributes, activity features, and spatial factors. The findings suggest that Internet use increases the temporal flexibility of simultaneous activities, as well as the spatial fixity of activities. This supports that ICT use could lead to new constraints due to the need to maintain connectivity, thus making some activities more fixed in space.

Reside nearby, behave apart? Activity-space-based segregation among residents of various types of housing in Beijing, China

Given the ongoing “mobility turn” in social science research, a more comprehensive understanding of segregation is needed. Activity-space-based segregation studies have aroused renewed interests in geography and urban planning research. Most of the existing studies utilized the differences in spatial characteristics of people's actual activity space to identify the segregation among social groups. However, few studies have examined activity-space-based segregation in terms of individuals' potential activity space and the temporal variations in their segregation experiences. This paper aims to help fill these two research gaps by implementing an empirical study in Beijing. We examine the activity-space-based segregation of the residents of different types of housing in a Beijing suburb in terms of both actual activity space and potential activity space. We further investigate the temporal variations of the residents' segregation experiences during a week. A 7-day individual GPS tracking dataset, combined with the activity diary data and the socioeconomic attributes data of 422 participants is used for the study. The major finding is that residents of different types of housing in Beijing do experience activity-space-based segregation, while the characteristics of segregation vary with respect to actual activity space and potential activity space. Also, participants' segregation experiences varies between different days of the week. This paper offers some empirical evidence on enriching the understanding of activity-space-based segregation research as well as improving the understanding about social segregation among the residents of different types of housing in Chinese cities. It also generates some nuanced knowledge for future policy recommendations in a broad context.

Multi-level temporal autoregressive modelling of daily activity satisfaction using GPS-integrated activity diary data

ABSTRACTIn this research, we match web-based activity diary data with daily mobility information recorded by GPS trackers for a sample of 709 residents in a 7-day survey in Beijing in 2012 to investigate activity satisfaction. Given the complications arising from the irregular time intervals of GPS-integrated diary data and the associated complex dependency structure, a direct application of standard (spatial) panel data econometric approaches is inappropriate. This study develops a multi-level temporal autoregressive modelling approach to analyse such data, which conceptualises time as continuous and examines sequential correlations via a time or space-time weights matrix. Moreover, we manage to simultaneously model individual heterogeneity through the inclusion of individual random effects, which can be treated flexibly either as independent or dependent. Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms are developed for model implementation. Positive sequential correlations and individual heterogeneity effects are both found to be statistically significant. Geographical contextual characteristics of sites where activities take place are significantly associated with daily activity satisfaction, controlling for a range of situational characteristics and individual socio-demographic attributes. Apart from the conceivable urban planning and development implications of our study, we demonstrate a novel statistical methodology for analysing semantic GPS trajectory data in general.

Time allocation and recycling activities

Recycling is time consuming and the time available for housework may determine the intensity of recycling activities. In this study, we conducted a survey of 546 Japanese households and asked them their daily practice of five varieties of recycling activities: (1) choice of refill products, (2) use of own shopping bags, (3) sorting of recycled papers from burnable waste, (4) use of own drinking bottles when going out, and (5) use of recycle boxes prepared at the grocery store. We also asked households to record their behavior for two successive days. By combining recycling activity data and diary data, we estimate a multivariate probit model to empirically examine whether time available for housework determines the intensity of five varieties of recycling activities. The empirical result demonstrates that an individual that can allocate sufficient time for housework tends to purchase refill products. He or she also tends to bring their own shopping bags for grocery shopping. We also find that the size of house and the number of family members determine the likelihood of recycling. A housewife living with many family members in a large house is more likely to engage in time-consuming recycling activities.

Car-less or car-free? Socioeconomic and mobility differences among zero-car households

Transportation professionals have long identified the important division between choice and constraint in modal decision-making. However, while heterogeneity within some modal groups such as transit riders is well documented, intragroup differences in other groups have been largely ignored. In particular, significant heterogeneity exists among zero-car households, who may not own a car due to choice (car-free) or constraint (car-less). Recognition of intragroup heterogeneity among zero-car households yields policy implications as cities consider where to invest their ever more precious and more limited transportation resources. Using activity diary data from the 2012 California Household Travel Survey, I investigate two research questions: first, how do car-less households compare to car-free households in terms of both their socioeconomic characteristics and their relative share of zero-car households? Second, how do motivations behind not owning a car translate into mobility differences - including daily trip counts and miles traveled? I find that, contrary to media reports that the number of car-free households—that is, households that choose not to own a car—is “booming”, 79 percent of zero-car households do not own a car because of economic or physical constraints. Car-less households in many ways mirror the captive transit population, in that they have significantly lower household incomes, lower educational attainments, and are disproportionately non-white compared to car-free households. Observed socioeconomic variations translate into mobility differences, with car-free travelers taking more trips and traveling more miles per day. Policy makers should consider extending access to carshare services, which are positively associated with more trips and miles traveled among both car-free and car-less households.

Subjective and objective assessment of physical activity - Influence of newly diagnosed exercise induced bronchoconstriction and gender.

To investigate if occurrence of newly diagnosed exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) would affect adolescents' ability to assess their physical activity. 99 selected adolescents with and 47 adolescents without self-reported exercise induced dyspnea were included. All of the 146 adolescents then performed a standardized exercise challenge test on a treadmill with dry-air inhalation to detect EIB. Free living physical activity was assessed during seven days with both accelerometer (objective assessment) and a validated activity diary (subjective assessment). Height, weight and subjective sleep were recorded. Out of the 146 adolescents 49 were diagnosed with EIB. Forty-six of the adolescents with EIB (35 girls and 11 boys) and 84 of the control adolescents (45 girls and 39 boys) had complete 7 day activity diary and accelerometer data. There were no differences in age, BMI and sleep between EIB and control adolescents. Boys with EIB overestimated subjective assessment compared to objective assessment more than girls with EIB. No difference was seen between control boys and girls. Furthermore, boys with EIB reported a much higher frequency of high intensity exercise than girls with EIB, but no difference was observed between control boys and girls. Adolescent boys with newly diagnosed EIB overestimated their physical activity compared to EIB girls. Caution may thus be used when choosing methods measuring level of physical activity in this group and especially when investigating gender differences.

Does the social context help with understanding and predicting the choice of activity type and duration? An application of the Multiple Discrete-Continuous Nested Extreme Value model to activity diary data

An understanding of activity choices and duration is a key requirement for better policy making, in transport and beyond. Previous studies have failed to make the important link with individuals’ social context. In this paper, the Multiple Discrete-Continuous Nested Extreme Value (MDCNEV) model is applied to the choice of activity type and duration over the course of two days, using data from the Chilean city of Concepción. In common with other studies, heterogeneity across decision makers is accommodated in the model by analysing the impact of different socio-demographic, mobility and residential location variables on both the activity choice and the time allocation decision. In addition, different social network and social capital measures are found to be significantly correlated with the choice and duration of different activities, and we show how these relationships seem to differ from the effects of socio-demographic variables. Finally, we perform a forecasting exercise using the MDCNEV model, highlighting the differences in substitution patterns from a standard MDCEV model.

“I want complete freedom”: car use and everyday mobility among the newly retired

To investigate car use among newly retired people, to explore to what extent car transport is used for everyday mobility and how it is valued in comparison to other transport modes. The data consists of travel diaries and qualitative interviews with 24 individuals, aged between 61 and 67, living in a middle-sized Swedish city. They were recruited via the local branch of one of the main associations of pensioners, one large employer in the municipality, and through another study. The informants filled in a travel diary during 1 week that were analysed by VISUAL- TimePAcTS, an application for visualising and exploring activity diary data. The semi-structured qualitative interviews were analysed using a qualitative content analysis. The car was used for several trips daily and often for short trips. The informants had a lot of everyday projects that they would not be able to perform if they did not have access to a car. The importance of the car does not seem to have changed upon retirement, albeit it is partly used for other reasons than before. The informant’s social context implies new space-time constraints. Commitments to family members, engagement in associations and spouses’ occupations affect how much and when they use the car, and their overall mobility. In contrast to much research on older people’s mobility that has studied slightly older people, this study have focused on a specific group that are relatively healthy, well-off, and have the possibility to choose between different modes of transport. By combining travel diaries and qualitative interviews, we have explored how newly retired people reason as regard their travel behaviour but also how they actually travel. Although the car was used more than other transport modes, being able to walk and cycle now that they had more time as retirees was highly valued. Our results indicate that urban residents that are retiring now and in the future are a key target group in transport planning when it comes to reduce car use in favour of slow modes of transport.