Residential Choice Research Articles

Investigating Residential Built Environment Effects on Rank-Based Modal Preferences and Auto-Ownership

Studies in the residential self-selection literature, which use attitudinal factors to model the jointness of residential and travel-related choices, assume a unidirectional impact from attitudes to behavior; however, such an assumption may be violated under several circumstances. In this current study, we allow the error terms of the attitudinal factors to be correlated with the main outcomes as we jointly model residential choice, auto-ownership level, and rank-based modal preferences. In our joint model, we use green lifestyle propensity and luxury lifestyle propensity as the two stochastic latent constructs. The empirical data for this study is drawn from the 2019 multi-city Transformative Technologies in Transportation survey for the city of Austin that elicited information with respect to individuals’ residential location, auto-ownership, and modal preferences through a stated preference experiment in a futuristic autonomous vehicle environment. Results indicate significant unobserved correlations between the latent constructs and the main outcomes; ignoring such endogeneity leads to underestimations of the “true” causal effect of high-density neighborhood (HDN) living on travel-related choices, which can have consequences for policy-making. In our analysis, the “true” causal effect of HDN living on auto-ownership suggests that, on average, the auto-ownership level would reduce by about 29% when an individual is shifted from a non-HDN to a HDN. Furthermore, the probability of using the bicycle mode for non-work pursuits is estimated to increase by 8%, and that of using a private vehicle is estimated to decrease by 3.1%, when individuals are moved from a non-HDN to a HDN.

How Do Neighbourhood and Working Environment Affect Green Commuting in China? A Resident Health Perspective

Commuting contributes to high levels of greenhouse gases and air pollution. The recently advocated ‘green commuting’, i.e. active and public modes of transport, will be conducive to low-carbon and environmentally friendly transport. A baseline goal of urban planning is to promote health; however, few studies have explored the health-related impacts of environments at both ends of the commute on residents’ commuting mode choices. To fill the gap, this study proposes to consider the impact of the neighbourhood and working environment on green commuting from a health perspective. Using a sample of 15,886 people from 368 communities in China, three generalised multilevel linear regression models were estimated. Physical and psychological health were combined to further analyse health-related environmental attributes on the commuting choices of residents with different health levels. The results indicate that the working environment exerts more substantial effects on ‘green commuting’ than the neighbourhood environment, especially for workplace satisfaction. Moreover, we found that a good working environment and relationships will significantly encourage the sub-healthy group to choose active commuting. These findings are beneficial for policymakers to consider focusing on reconciling neighbourhood and working environments and meeting the commuting requirements of the less healthy group.

City affordability and residential location choice: A demonstration using agent based model

Who lives where and why? – is a prominent issue studied in the field of urban economics. With urbanization on the rise, housing and transportation policies must strive to strike a balance between accessibility and affordability. The study builds an economic rational agent-based model, for a hypothetical monocentric city, to simulate the urban pattern that emerges from households' residential location choice as they aim to minimize their expenditure on rent and commute under different scenarios. The model highlights the significance of housing and transportation costs as a spatial policy tool in shaping urban growth. By manipulating these costs, cities can promote compactness, increase affordability, and result in a more homogeneous density and income distribution pattern. The study also finds that mode of travel plays a crucial role in determining residential choice, with private transportation users tending to reside in the city's inner areas and public transportation users opting for outer areas. However, when public transportation is heavily subsidized, this pattern is reversed. We also find that an increase in income inequality and plot size variability can lead to income-based segregation in the city. Our study findings, validated through a review of the relevant empirical literature, provide valuable policy directions into the underlying mechanisms that shape the urban growth pattern.

Comparisons of observed and unobserved parameter heterogeneity in modeling vehicle-miles driven

This study examines potential observed and unobserved parameter heterogeneity in modeling vehicle-miles driven (VMD). This application is both important in its own right, and a vehicle for exploring conceptual, mathematical, and empirical differences among three finite-segmentation ways of addressing such heterogeneity: deterministic segmentation and (endogenous) switching for observed heterogeneity, and latent class models for unobserved heterogeneity. Based on empirical data from about 3,000 Georgia residents, we model weekly VMD, and identify key explanatory variables as well as the different sensitivities to those variables exhibited by various population segments. The study posits that people have different sensitivities to explanatory variables by residence type (urban versus “less urban”), and supporting evidence was found in the deterministic segmentation and endogenous switching models. The switching regression model characterized those who are more likely to live in urban areas, e.g. workers, pro-environmental, and those who are less favorable to driving. In addition, the estimated error correlations in the endogenous switching model corroborated that there are unobserved factors common to the joint decisions of residential choice and VMD generation. The latent class model identified lower and higher VMD-inclined segments and had a better goodness of fit than the other two models. The results confirm that (1) there is notable heterogeneity in the population with respect to the weight given to relevant factors that influence VMD, and (2) accounting for both observed and unobserved heterogeneities is useful in modeling VMD.

Understanding residential choice under risk: A case study of settlement fire and wildfire risk

As more people worldwide are moving to urban areas there is an expansion of urban land that adjoins wildland. This study focuses on an area where fire-dependent and fire-prone vegetation meets an informal urban settlement named Imizamo Yethu in Cape Town, South Africa. We investigate the reasoning behind why some residents choose to remain in a settlement that experiences both wildfires and settlement-based fires and why others choose to leave. To achieve this we integrate three theories: protection motivation theory, John Turner's theory on settlement patterns and place attachment. We converted Turner's qualitative theory into quantitatively measurable indicators and identified five resident types with varying characteristics in the settlement. In agreement with Turner's theory, employment and friends and family were identified as key reasons for people remaining in a known high-fire-risk settlement. Finally, we combined the protection motivation theory with Turner's theory and place attachment in regression models to determine why people remain in the study area and what factors may make them move. The key determinants for residents remaining are the perceived benefits of the location, place attachment and the individual's perception of fire-threat. Significant determinants for moving away due to perceived fire-threat include how effective the move would be for the fire hazard and their current level of place attachment.

Outdoor clothing choice for different populations in cold regions: A clothing choice prediction model based on machine learning

The choice of clothing is one of the main behavioral ways for people to adjust their thermal comfort outdoors. However, the choice of clothing is influenced by a combination of factors. The researchers need to use a method that deals with multivariable nonlinear problems to predict clothing insulation for outdoor people. Therefore, this study proposes an outdoor clothing prediction model based on the gray wolf optimization algorithm backpropagation neural network.This study starts with conditional assumptions. The clothing choice of outdoor residents is influenced by various climate parameters and gender. In a field experiment, outdoor environmental parameters were measured in real time, and respondents were surveyed using subjective questionnaires. The experimental data in the field and validation tests of the model confirmed this hypothesis. A total of 2883 valid samples were collected in this study, and an outdoor clothing prediction model that considered multiple nonlinear comprehensive effects was established. The results show that the accuracy of the proposed model is considerably higher than that of the traditional linear model. For the four sample groups, the root mean square prediction errors of the model were 9.57%, 2.96%, 4.87%, and 6.96%. The machine learning based outdoor clothing prediction model established in this paper not only provides a theoretical basis for outdoor thermal comfort evaluation but also provides a reference for research in other areas.

Nature orientation and opportunity: Who values and who has opportunity for satisfactory green spaces in proximity to their place of residence

Urban green spaces (UGS) provide important contributions to people. Yet, UGS planning requires better understanding of by whom and where such contributions are being valued or missed. Based on a mixed-methods online survey and choice experiment with residents of Wellington in Aotearoa New Zealand, we analyse how much and why residents value UGS and their benefits when deciding where to live and how socio-economic and spatial factors might impact nature orientation and opportunity for satisfactory local UGS. We find that local UGS are an important residential choice criteria for the majority of respondents, especially in the context of Wellington’s intensification plans. However, we show that socio-economic and spatial factors significantly impact whether someone values and is satisfied with UGS in proximity to their place of residence. Our findings call for careful scoping of a city’s population and spatial structure when planning for equitable UGS provision. More holistic approaches to green space planning are needed to address contextualities and the complex interdependencies between nature orientation and opportunity and to plan for green space distributions that provide opportunities now and help shaping nature orientation for future generations.

White flight from immigration?: Attitudes to diversity and white residential choice

AbstractBackgroundWork on whites’ mobility behavior finds that they tend to move to less diverse neighborhoods than minorities. Work on white mobility preferences finds that whites who dislike diversity prefer less diverse neighborhoods. Do liberal whites practice what they preach, and do conservative whites really avoid diversity?ObjectiveCombine data on white ethnocentrism and migration behavior to analyze liberal and conservative white mobility in the United Kingdom and the United States.MethodOrdered logit and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) models of destination choice predicted by attitudes toward Brexit, Trump, and immigration.ResultsWhites select significantly less diverse neighborhoods than nonwhites, but there is little or no racial difference in the destinations that white liberals and conservatives, British Brexiteers and Remainers, and American Trump supporters and opponents move to.ConclusionEthnicity matters for segregation, but conscious white ethnocentrism is much less important. Future work could explore unconscious ethnocentrism, differing ethnic information about neighborhoods or ethnically divergent amenities as potential explanations.

Macro-Level Factors Shaping Residential Location Choices: Examining the Impacts of Density and Land-Use Mix

Many published papers have delved into the factors affecting the residential location choices of households using various logit models. Nonetheless, only a few pieces of literature have attempted to examine those associative attributes from a macroscopic view. Thus, this article investigates the factors that influence households’ preference to reside in densely populated locations or regions with a wide variety of land-use types using ordered choice models (ORM). This study proposes three indicators that are reflective of residential areas, namely population density, housing density, and land-use mix index, based on prior research. Population density and housing density are modeled at census block and tract levels to explore households’ sensitivity to different geographical scales. Regarding land use, this research classifies the diversity index into four categories: uniform, moderately diverse, more diverse, and the most diverse. Similarly, the study is predicated on 0.25-mile and 0.5-mile buffer zones. The findings are consistent with earlier research and highlight macro-level issues that influence residential location decisions. As for the residential preference for housing density, significant factors are the structure of households, the number of vehicles per household, and household income. Regarding the residential choices of population density, significant attributes refer to demographic characteristics, household income, and housing types. Concerning the residential choices based on land-use mix, the most influential factors turn out to be the interacting terms between demographics and housing-related index, household income, and housing-related indexes.

Nationalism in Globalization

This paper, following the method of systematic balanced thinking, studies nationalism and nation-states amidst globalization, proposing the following main points: First, moving to the center of the world stage, we should correctly understand nationalism and nation-states, and represent the moral, theoretical and technological commanding heights. Second, nationalism is a double-edged sword, the national liberation movement in history was essentially a movement against imperialism, extreme nationalism is the root of world turmoil, and national self-determination and national independence movement is not a fundamental choice for the healthy development of human society. Third, nation-states have universality and particularity of interests, the essence of nation-states is to concentrate national strength to defend national rights and interests, and to maintain social order and the rule of public life. Fourth, the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America are two nation-states with distinctive characteristics in the world. The United States, as the largest emerging nation-state, highlights Protestant culture in its nationality, adheres to power politics and the rule of survival of the fittest, and pays more respect to modern laws and regulations in national governance. China, as the largest ancient nation-state, highlights farming culture in its nationality, adheres to the philosophy of living in harmony with nature, and is greatly influenced by natural forces or traditions in terms of national governance. The cooperation-competition development with “Bipolar Coexistence” of China and the United States results from the law of human social development. Fifth, to cope with the current complex and sensitive international situation, it is necessary to correctly judge and choose the future trend and power of nation-states in the world. The countries in our world are multi-ethnic and multi-religious. Peaceful coexistence, mutual benefit, free choice of residence and mutual respect are the only correct choices for the survival and development of peoples of all ethnic groups around the world. The action and reaction of universality and nationality promote the development process of the Community of Shared Future for Mankind. Sixth, the key to national equality lies in equality of people, and the key to building the Community of Shared Future for Mankind lies in the consciousness of equality, which requires that we adhere to the unity of universality and particularity.

Measuring spatiotemporal accessibility to healthcare with multimodal transport modes in the dynamic traffic environment

Abstract Research on healthcare accessibility is developing with a focus on multimodal transport modes (MTMs) and multiple time-series variations. A dynamic traffic environment leads travelers to make distinct decisions at different time slots, which impacts spatiotemporal accessibility markedly. Our article proposes a methodological framework to measure spatiotemporal accessibility with multimodal transportation modes and its variation at multiple time series, while accounting for traffic congestion and the probability of residential transport mode choices in a dynamic traffic environment. We selected Nanjing, China, as the study area and pediatric clinic services (PCS) as specific healthcare services to estimate the spatiotemporal accessibility at four representative time slots. The results indicate that the weight estimation of travel time based on MTMs is more propitious than the travel time of single-mode to present real-world travel characteristics and reflects the spatiotemporal distribution and variation of services synthetically. Furthermore, the spatiotemporal accessibility variation of PCS in peripheral suburbs is more pronounced than that in urban centers and rural areas. This work holds pragmatic implications for policymakers in terms of services planning and allocation optimization to improve the equity of resource supply.

Random Regret Minimization Model of Carpool Travel Choice for Urban Residents Considering Perceived Heterogeneity and Psychological Distance.

Carpooling is a sustainable, economical, and environmentally friendly solution to reduce air pollution and ease traffic congestion in urban areas. However, existing regret theories lack consideration of the heterogeneity of attribute perception in different ways and the psychological factors that affect regret, so they cannot accurately portray urban residents' carpool travel decisions and cannot provide a correct explanation of the actual carpool choice behavior. In this paper, based on the analysis of classical random regret minimization models and random regret minimization models considering heterogeneity, the concept of psychological distance is introduced to address shortcomings of the existing models and construct an improved random regret minimization model considering heterogeneity and psychological distance. The results show that the fit and explanatory effect of the improved model proposed in this paper is better than that of the other two models. The psychological distance of travel residents during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects the anticipated regret value and the willingness to carpool. The model can better describe the carpool travel choice mechanism of travelers and effectively explain the carpool travel choice behavior of travelers.

Residential segregation and inequality: Considering barriers to choice in Toronto

AbstractSegregation of visible minorities has persisted throughout time in Toronto. In examining these concentrations, the literature has been heavily focused on the notion that visible minorities are choosing to live in proximity to their respective ethno‐racial groups and that these are spaces of aspiration rather than marginalization in Canada. This paper raises questions about the assertion of “self‐segregation” by emphasizing affordability constraints on residential choices that are often rooted in discrimination in the labour market. Census data from 2016 and an adopted neighbourhood classification scheme were used to understand the spatial patterning of visible minorities in the Toronto census metropolitan area and highlight differences in the socio‐economic characteristics of visible minority dominant and white dominant census tracts. The findings invite the inference that economic opportunities play a critical role in the residential choices of visible minorities and raise concerns about the quality of life in visible minority neighbourhoods. This research contributes to our understanding of how social inequalities have impacted the socio‐spatial organization of the city of Toronto.

Does work from home reshape the urban rental structure? Early evidence from a rental gradient analysis in Auckland

PurposeThis study aims to identify the pandemic’s impact on house rents by applying a rental gradient analysis to compare the pre-and post-COVID-19 periods in Auckland. The micro-level household census data from the Integrated Data Infrastructure of Statistics New Zealand is also applied to scrutinise this WFH trend as a robustness check.Design/methodology/approachSince the outbreak of COVID-19, work-from-home (WFH) and e-commerce have become much more common in many cities. Many news reports have contended that households are leaving city centres and moving into bigger and better houses in the suburbs or rural areas. This emerging trend has been redefining the traditional theory of residential location choices. Proximity to central business district (CBD) is no longer the most critical consideration in choosing one’s residence. WFH and e-commerce flatten the traditional bid rent curve from the city centre.FindingsThe authors examined micro-level housing rental listings in 242 suburbs of the Auckland Region from January 2013 to December 2021 (108 months) and found that the hedonic price gradient models suggest that there has been a trend of rental gradient flattening and that its extent was almost doubled in 2021. Rents are also found to be increasing more in lower-density suburbs.Research limitations/implicationsThe results imply that the pandemic has accelerated the trend of WFH and e-commerce. The authors further discuss whether the trend will be a transient phenomenon or a long-term shift.Practical implicationsSuppose an organisation is concerned about productivity and performance issues due to a companywide ability to WFH. In that case, some standard key performance indicators for management and employees could be implemented. Forward-thinking cities need to focus on attracting skilful workers by making WFH a possible solution, not by insisting on the primacy of antiquated nine-to-five office cultures.Social implicationsWFH has traditionally encountered resistance, but more and more companies are adopting WFH policies in this post-COVID era. The early rental gradient and the micro-level household data analysis all confirm that the WFH trend is emerging and will likely be a long-term shift. Instead of resisting the change, organisations should improve their remote work policies and capabilities for this WFH trend.Originality/valueSo far, empirical studies of post-COVID urban restructuring have been limited. This study aims to empirically test such an urban metamorphosis by identifying the spatial and temporal impacts of COVID on house rental gradients in the Auckland Region, New Zealand. The authors apply rental gradient analysis to test this urban restructuring hypothesis because the method considers the spatial-temporal differences, i.e. a difference-in-differences between pre-and post-pandemic period against the distance measured from the city centre. The method can control for the spatial difference and the endogeneity involved.

Approaches to Managing Speed in New Zealand’s Capital

Higher speeds increase the risk of crashes occurring and the severity of resulting injuries. The purpose of speed management is to ensure that speeds are safe for all road users thereby reducing the number of crashes and avoid injuries and deaths when crashes happen. In response to a rising trend in deaths from road crashes in recent years, the New Zealand Government introduced the Road to Zero road safety strategy in 2018 and updated the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits in 2022. In Wellington city (New Zealand’s capital), unsafe speed limits and high numbers of road crashes with injuries make city streets unsafe, have high social costs, present a barrier to active transport, and limit mode choice for residents and visitors. This study assessed nine speed management options using cost benefit analysis. Citywide permanent speed reduction was most effective for reducing road crash-related injuries. The option with 30 km/h speed limit for local streets and 40 km/h for arterial streets had the highest crash reduction benefits of over NZD $500 million, discounted over 40 years followed by the option of 30 km/h default citywide, albeit with the high construction costs and relatively high vehicle travel time disbenefits. Incremental cost benefit calculations indicated that, depending on the total budget available, the most efficient options were permanent speed reductions near schools and the 30/40 km/h mix citywide. Implementing variable speed limits around schools provided the lowest benefits and very low value for money compared to citywide speed management approaches or permanently reduced speed around schools.

Impact of Air Pollution on Residents’ Health in China: Moderating Effect Analysis Based on a Hierarchical Linear Model

Background: Air pollution is an important factor affecting residents’ health. Methods: Based on the health data of 9959 residents from 28 provinces in China in the 2017 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), this paper uses a hierarchical linear model (HLM) to scientifically analyze the impact of air pollution on residents’ health and to explore the moderating role of air pollution in various factors influencing residents’ health. Results: Air pollution has significant negative effects on residents’ health (coef. −0.103, p < 0.01), while frequency of exercise (coef. 0.070, p < 0.01), education level (coef. 0.012, p < 0.1) and income level (coef. 0.383, p < 0.01) have positive effects on residents’ health. Air pollution has a negative moderating effect on the positive impact of exercise frequency on residents’ health (coef. −0.015, p = 0.004). Conclusions: Air pollution causes serious damage to residents’ health and it is necessary to control air pollution. Increasing residents’ income, education level and exercise frequency can help improve residents’ health level. Air pollution significantly reduce the positive impact of exercise frequency on residents’ health. In order to effectively improve their own health, it is a better choice for residents to exercise when the air quality is good.

Immigrant inventors and local income taxes: Evidence from Swiss municipalities

This paper studies the relationship between local personal income tax rates and the attractiveness of municipalities as residential locations for immigrant inventors in Switzerland. Exploiting sharp differences in top income tax rates across state borders, I find an elasticity of the probability that an inventor takes residence in a border municipality with respect to the top net-of-tax rate of around 3.2. Additional evidence suggests that inventors’ residential location choices are consequential for the localization of entrepreneurial activity and local knowledge spillovers.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Person-Centered Care Practices in Nursing Homes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on long-term care residents, family, and staff. Nursing homes are facing persistent challenges such as staff shortage, lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), and staff experiencing mental health issues including burnout. COVID-19 precautions may have made implementing person-centered care (PCC) in nursing homes more difficult. This report provides a descriptive analysis of perceived COVID-19 impact on the PCC practice in nursing homes. Surveys (N = 379) were collected from 11 nursing homes across Georgia. PCC practice barriers include reduced choice for residents, staff anxiety related to COVID-19 precautions, increased prevalence of short-staffing, and expanded duties for direct care workers. Facilitators for PCC were also present and included staff engagement, the provision of mental health resources, supervisor support, and empowerment of staff. Applied practice and research to address these barriers and expand implementation of facilitators is needed.

6. The Influence of Integrated vs Independent Pathway and Hospital Type on Plastic Surgery Post-Residency Plans Unchanged by Global Pandemic

Background: Statements are often made about what percentage of plastic surgery (PRS) residents go into fellowship vs. private practice vs. academia after graduation. However, few objective studies have been completed. This project is designed to illuminate career choices of PRS residents immediately after graduation from 2018-2022 and secondarily, determine if the pandemic had any measurable impact. Methods: Publicly available data was obtained from institution websites or program queries. Demographic data was collected including sex/gender, training pathway, primary residency, length of training, and post-residency fellowship vs private practice job vs academic job vs military appointment. Comparison of percentages between pre-Covid and post-Covid (2018-19 vs 2020-22), training pathways (independent vs integrated), institution type (private vs public) and program rank (per Doximity) were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. P values were 2-sided and comparisons with P < 0.01 were considered significant. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS software. Results: Data was collected for 691 graduates across 64 training programs (28% independent, 71% integrated). Most graduates pursued fellowship-training (61%) followed by 28% direct to private practice, 5% direct to academic practice and 1% assumed a military post. Independent residents were more likely to pursue private practice (40%vs.26%, p=0.001), while integrated residents were more likely to pursue additional fellowship training (49%vs70%, p<0.0001). Public institution graduates are more likely to go into private practice (37%vs.23%, p=0.0002), while private institution residents are more likely to pursue fellowship (55%vs.72%, p<0.0001). However, pandemic (p=0.31) and institutional rank (p=0.11) showed no association. Conclusion: In this report, we present career choice trends amongst PRS trainees. We found independent residents more likely to pursue private practice, perhaps due to prolonged training period (minimum 8 years vs 6 years), while integrated residents were more likely to pursue fellowship training. Public/State institution graduates were more likely to pursue private practice, potentially influenced by more exposure to community faculty than trainees in private academic settings. This study demonstrates that training pathway and institution type have a significant impact on post-graduation plans, whereas global pandemic and institutional rank do not. This information can be used by programs and students as they plan for the future.

An Open-Source Modelling Methodology for Multimodal and Intermodal Accessibility Analysis of Workplace Locations

Workplace location has a significant impact on daily mobility behavior, such as mode of transportation choice, as well as long-term decisions such as car ownership and residential location choice. Therefore, understanding accessibility to workplaces is crucial for promoting sustainable mobility. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive, open-source methodologies for multimodal and intermodal accessibility modeling for workplace locations. In this study, we present a modeling concept based on open-source tools such as OpenTripPlanner, PostGIS, and R, which allows for efficient and fast accessibility analysis of workplace locations at a regional level. Using the Munich Metropolitan Region as a case study, we demonstrate the feasibility of our model in conducting large-scale, multimodal, and intermodal accessibility analysis on consumer hardware. The maps produced by our model provide both absolute and relative indicators of accessibility, such as public transportation versus car accessibility, as well as a score. The results show that Munich and other centers have high competitiveness for non-car modes and intermodal combinations, but smaller cities also have potential for workplace locations that are not reliant on car access, with a large number of potential workers able to reach these locations within 30 min without driving.