Residential Location Preferences 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.

Residential preferences, telework perceptions, and the intention to telework: insights from the Lisbon Metropolitan Area during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Confinement measures imposed during the COVID‐19 pandemic forced many people to work from home. As telework reduces commuting costs, there is the possibility of contributing to urban sprawl as it allows people to move to the periphery. A web‐based survey focusing on telework was conducted in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. A structural equation model was built to study the influence of residential location preferences, perceptions about telework, and current residential location with the intention to engage in telework. People willing to telework more frequently have a higher probability of living in suburban locations, preferring this type of environment and having longer commutes. These results support the premise that telework acts as a mechanism to reduce commute burden.

The role of residential choice on the travel behavior of young adults

Several studies have shown that the travel behavior of young adults in the United States in the past two decades differed from that of prior generations. On average, recent young adults drove fewer miles, owned fewer vehicles and made use of public transit more often. A higher share of young adults also chose to live in cities. This study examines the relationship between the location decision of young adults and their travel behavior. We examine how being a young adult and other socioeconomic variables are associated with residential location decisions, and how these in turn affect vehicle ownership, mode choice and travel distance. Our analysis uses household travel survey data from the Seattle regions collected in 2006 and 2017 and employs a recursive structural equation model to examine these questions. We find that young adult households were more likely to live closer to the city center and to have fewer vehicles than older ones. Fewer young adults also chose to own vehicles in 2017 than in 2006. While young adults made more use of non-automobile modes and had fewer person miles traveled, we find that these effects were more due to their residential location and vehicle ownership decisions than due to direct preferences about mode or distance traveled. These findings suggest that significant changes would be expected in the mode use and miles traveled among young adults if their residential location or vehicle ownership preferences change significantly due to life cycle or other factors.

Exploring the e-shopping geography of Lisbon: Assessing online shopping adoption for retail purchases and food deliveries using a 7-day shopping survey

E-shopping is growing globally, and the COVID-19 pandemic further accentuated this tendency. In this paper, online shopping adoption is analysed in Lisbon immediately before the pandemic outbreak. By focusing on an urban area, the impact of variables such as internet access or access to delivery services is controlled, thus enhancing the remaining components of the online purchase. The results show that online shopping is spatially dependent in an intraurban environment as a reflex of residential location preferences of different socioeconomic groups. Moreover, as internet access and delivery services become widespread, residential location preferences may come to explain e-shopping adoption both in urban and non-urban environments. The e-shopping geography of Lisbon suggests that age and affluence are determinants in explaining e-shopping adoption, with a marked distinction between central areas and more peripheral ones, some of which include extensive social housing projects. Hence, if retailers move online, shopping opportunities may become scarce for some consumers due to their socioeconomic status and consequent residential preferences. Nevertheless, strategic partnerships between retailers and the public sector may be devised to improve shopping opportunities. Physical stores can be encouraged to locate in areas where consumers are less prone to shop online. E-shopping adoption may also be encouraged by the public sector by promoting digital literacy, especially considering that the share of the older population is growing in Portugal as in most European countries.

Group Spatial Preferences of Residential Locations—Simplified Method Based on Crowdsourced Spatial Data and MCDA

Residential location preferences illustrate how the attractiveness of particular neighbourhoods is perceived and indicate what improves or lowers the comfort of life in a city according to its residents. This research analyses the residential preferences of students who were asked to indicate their most preferred residential locations and to define their selection criteria. The study was conducted in two phases: in 2019, before the outbreak of the pandemic, and in 2020 during the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. The methodology of spatial multi-criteria analyses and the developed simplified approach to determining collective preferences from crowdsourced data FCPR (first criteria partial ranking) were used to analyse the preferences. The following research questions were asked: (1) whether the developed simplified FCPR methodology would provide results similar to the methods currently used to determine group weightings of criteria; (2) what spatial aspects were important for the students when choosing where to live, and (3) whether these aspects change in the face of the pandemic. The results obtained confirmed the effectiveness of the simplified approach. They indicated a significant relationship between an efficient public transport system and residence preferences, even with prolonged distance learning. They also showed the increased importance of location close to family or friends in the face of the pandemic. Only a combined analysis of the preferences expressed both in the form of a ranking of criteria and directly indicated locations provides complete information.

Modelling effects of changes in travel time and costs of toll road usage on choices for residential location, route and travel mode across population segments in the Jakarta-Bandung region, Indonesia

Abstract This paper provides insight into how variations in Level of Service (LoS) of a toll road, socio-economic attributes, and latent factors simultaneously affect residential location, route, and mode choices across population segments in the Jakarta – Bandung region in Indonesia. Three discrete choice models were developed based on a stated-revealed preference survey on residential location, route, and mode choices. Our analysis shows that toll road usage affects both residential location preferences and travel behaviour. This influence varies across income groups and used travel mode and also depends on trip characteristics. Overall, the respondents in our survey prefer toll road options, as also shown by positive attitudes towards the toll road, except for low-income respondents and bus users. Furthermore, we found a significant association between residential location preference and route and mode choices for frequent users of the toll road, low-income respondents and residents who live close to the toll road. It means that self-selection exists between residential location choice and mode-route choice, and it is linked to the distance to the toll gate and frequency of using the toll road. Furthermore, we found that high-income car users are the most sensitive to increased travel costs.

Understanding differences in residential location preferences between ownership and renting: A case study of London

This study aims to investigate the similarities and differences between residential location choices of owners and renters. The models are estimated for commuter households living in owned or privately rented dwellings in the Greater London Area. The London Household Survey Data, Ward Atlas Data and the London Transport Studies Model outputs are used in this regard. Model parameters are estimated using an error components specification of the mixed logit model to capture differences in error variance. Willingness to Pay (WTP) and elasticity analyses are also performed for interpretation of the estimated model parameters and quantifying the differences between the two groups. The results indicate that while some common factors are affecting the choices of owners and renters, there are significant differences in response to several factors such as public transport accessibility (for ‘car-owning’ households) and percentage of detached houses in the area. Accounting for preference heterogeneity between the sub-groups is expected to lead to better planning and investment decisions.

Determining heterogeneity of residential location preferences of households in Belgium

Residential location choice behaviour is a key component of the complex and dynamic human-environment interactions driving changes in the urban landscape. The residential location choices that households make depend on their socio-economic characteristics, attitudes and life cycle stage as well as the location's properties. The objective of this research was to analyse residential location preferences for different types of households in Belgium by developing a residential location choice model based on the use of regression trees. For each preference group, a discrete choice model was estimated identifying the main factors influencing residential location choices, and how these differ depending on household characteristics. The data-driven approach proposed in this paper enables a transparent interpretation of the main household characteristics explaining differences in residential location choice behaviour, and of the varying effect of location characteristics on residential location choice. Results obtained with the model show that tenure status, education level, nationality and household type successfully discriminate heterogeneous residential location preference profiles in Belgium. Model variables for each preference group demonstrate that not only socio-economic characteristics of the resident population, but also housing price and job accessibility differentially affect a location's attractivity for different household profiles.

From dusk till dawn: the residential mobility and location preferences of immigrants in France

This paper provides an original analysis on residential mobility and locational choices of immigrants in France by using a unique database containing individual characteristics for 19 million French inhabitants in 2014. Residential mobility is studied at the level of the 304 metropolitan zones d’emploi, which is a very narrow spatial level of analysis taking into account worker’s commutes, local productive specializations and the spatial dimensions of the local labor markets. The paper shows, first, that when living in a zone with a high proportion of immigrants, an immigrant is less eager to move elsewhere. Second, the location decisions of settled immigrants who relocate do not exhibit path dependence: the immigrants do not move to zones where other immigrants cluster. The paper also provides evidence that newcomers tend to locate to areas with low real estate prices and a high percentage of immigrant households within the local population. This is an original study of the locational behavior of migrants based on ethnic origin; it shows that the presence of other immigrants with the same or different ethnic origin affects the location decision of newcomers.

Exploring the role of toll road construction on residential location choice in the Jakarta – Bandung region

This study deals with the influence of the construction of a major toll road on residential location preferences in the Jakarta – Bandung region in Indonesia. A hybrid choice model (HCM) was developed to model the effects of socio-economics, travel characteristics, housing characteristics and latent variables on residential location choice simultaneously. The latent variable (LV) model is composed of satisfaction with current neighbourhood and satisfaction with housing. The discrete choice model (DCM) using a mixed logit model (MLM), excluding the latent variables, was also estimated. The models were based on survey data collected from 1500 respondents. The results show that the addition of latent variables that reflect the satisfaction of individuals with neighbourhood accessibility, dwelling size and affordability, led to a higher probability that low-income individuals will move house. Satisfaction with neighbourhood characteristics is more significant than satisfaction with housing to influence residential location choice. Furthermore, high-income earners were willing to pay higher land taxes to live closer than 5 km to the toll road to capture travel time benefits, whereas people in other income segments preferred to live beyond 10 km from the toll gate where housing costs tend to be low. However, spatial location components were found to have a stronger influence on neighbourhood and housing satisfaction levels than socio-economic characteristics.

Determinants of Residential Location Choice in Istanbul: A Longitudinal Study

Residential mobility is a dynamic urban process resulting from the ever changing internal and external factors of households' residential preferences. Factors effecting these preferences are related to households'perception of spatial issues such as the characteristics of a house, accessibility to urban functions and transportation, land values and house prices, neighborhood characteristics, residential satisfaction, and attachment. The effects of these issues vary through the life cycle as well as social, economic, and employment status of a household. As a result of the legal arrangements and state incentives that have helped to develop the construction industry, current housing patterns have shifted in Istanbul since the 2000s'. This study aims to investigate the changing trends in the factors that affected the residential location preferences of Istanbulites from 2006 to 2014. Data was collected through a stratified sampling method from two different surveys in 2006 and 2014. The paper explains the change in the destination choice of residents in the city at the district level and furthermore, changes in the households' intention to move to one of the three different housing patterns which are common in the city.

Autonomous driving and residential location preferences: Evidence from a stated choice survey

The literature suggests that autonomous vehicles (AVs) may drastically change the user experience of private automobile travel by allowing users to engage in productive or relaxing activities while travelling. As a consequence, the generalised cost of car travel may decrease, and car users may become less sensitive to travel time. By facilitating private motorised mobility, AVs may eventually impact land use and households’ residential location choices. This paper seeks to advance the understanding of the potential impacts of AVs on travel behaviour and land use by investigating stated preferences for combinations of residential locations and travel options for the commute in the context of autonomous automobile travel. Our analysis draws from a stated preference survey, which was completed by 512 commuters from the Sydney metropolitan area in Australia and provides insights into travel time valuations in a long-term decision-making context. For the analysis of the stated choice data, mixed logit models are estimated. Based on the empirical results, no changes in the valuation of travel time due to the advent of AVs should be expected. However, given the hypothetical nature of the stated preference survey, the results may be affected by methodological limitations.

University students' transportation patterns, and the role of neighbourhood types and attitudes

Research on the millennial generation's travel behaviour is emerging, but little is known about the socio-demographic, attitudinal and environmental factors that influence day-to-day trips by these young adults. In this study, data collected from four universities in Toronto, Canada, was analyzed to explore patterns in transportation behaviour, or transportation life-styles, of post-secondary students. A latent class analysis identified five distinct student groups based on a one-day travel diary data and self-reported long-term travel behaviour, namely: Transit dependent (31%), Active and neighbourhood oriented (23%), Multi-modal (11%), Occasional driver (12%) and Driver (23%). Two-thirds of students (65%) predominantly relied on either walking/cycling or transit. Logistic regression models indicated that a student's socio-demographic characteristics and life-course situations might explain their travel behaviour. Neighbourhood type of residence was an important indicator of a student's transportation life-style. Strong associations between travel attitudes, residential location preferences and a student's transportation life-style was also observed. Post-secondary students are at an important stage in their life-course where they begin to form habitual travel behaviour as young adults. Findings from this study contribute an improved understanding of travel behaviour, which may also inform planning, policy and service provision relating to transportation, land development and affordable housing.

Investigation for Location Preferences of MIG Household in West Zone of Surat City

Urbanization growth in India is increasing rapidly and people migrate to the well- developed area of city for various basis. “Residential Location Preferences” refers to, how location of a house of a particular class of people gets determined by their social, economic aspects and also by potential of particular area chosen for residence. Residential location is one of the driving forces of urban dynamics. The residential location choice process has been studied for several decades using different approaches which in general shows that many factors contribute to the choice of a given location as characteristics of city infrastructure, transportation facilities, housing unit, social and environmental amenities, access to jobs, services and other economic opportunities. Urban citizens intend to live surrounding their work locations and city centre. The assessment of these ward locational preferences is done by developing the Weighted Sum Model (WSM). Study represents locational preferences of residence from MIG-1 and MIG -2 categories of residents in west zone of Surat city.

Without a ride in car country – A comparison of carless households in Germany and California

One approach to making transportation more sustainable is to transition away from a car-oriented society. Unfortunately, our understanding of the factors that prompt households to voluntarily forgo their motor vehicles is limited. The 2008 Mobility in Germany (MiD) and the 2012 California Household Travel Survey (CHTS) provide an opportunity to start filling this gap by teasing out what built environment and socio-economic variables impact the likelihood that a household is carless (voluntarily or not) in Germany and in California, two car-dependent societies with different carless rates. Results from our generalized structural equation models show that in both Germany and California, households who reside in denser neighborhoods, closer to transit stations, and who have a lower income or fewer children, are more likely to be voluntarily carless. However, households with more education are more likely to be voluntarily carless in Germany, whereas the reverse is true in California. Moreover, employment density and public transit have a higher impact on voluntary carlessness in Germany than in California. Our results also show that different socio-economic groups have substantially different residential location preferences in Germany and in California. These differences may be explained by cultural preferences, historical differences in land use and transportation policies, and by the higher cost of owning a motor vehicle in Germany.

Understanding residential location choices: an application of the UrbanSim residential location model on Suwon, Korea

ABSTRACTThe residential location choice model is an effective tool to analyze the actual household demand for housing and better living environments, and many researchers have developed various residential location choice models. In this study, a residential location choice model using a discrete choice modelling framework within UrbanSim is applied to Suwon, Korea with the following aims: (1) to investigate factors affecting residential location choice in Suwon, (2) to forecast changes in household residential locations, and (3) to derive policy implications for the local housing market. An extensive database of parcels, households, jobs, land prices, and transportation networks is geocoded on the basis of grid cells that measure 150 × 150 metres. The estimation results show that access to employment opportunities, the ratio of housing cost to income, mixed land use, and the year that housing was built are important factors in determining household residential locations in Suwon. In addition, different age and income groups have different residential location preferences. UrbanSim, a highly disaggregated microsimulation model, is employed to forecast changes in household residential locations using the estimation results of the residential location choice model. These suggest that different income groups show different migration patterns.

Identifying urban zonal preferences: planners' perspective

Residential location preferences depend on diversified sets of physical, social and economic parameters with highly non-linear interconnections. Factors governing residential location preferences may broadly be grouped as sociocultural, socio-economic, socio-demographic, spatial and geographical. Each of these factors incorporates a wide range of parameters that characterise residential location preference to a varying degree of significance, such as monthly household income, family size, religion, cost and so on. Estimating rapid, yet accurate, residential location requires identification of the most significant factors governing preference. Thus, a concept of extracting significant parameters and identifying their importance is carried out using the analytical hierarchy process introduced herein. Further, the most preferred zone to live is identified using the technique of order preference by similarity to ideal solution from urban planners' perspective. The study area is from the most potential developing country of the world: India. A novel application of the multi-criteria decision-making technique to residential location preferences, a complex problem in urban planning, is presented.

FACTORS INFLUENCES RESIDENTIAL LOCATION SELECTION PREFERENCES TOWARD FUTURE NEIGHBORHOOD

It is critical to study the travel behaviour of residents as it provides an understanding on what people do over space and how people use transportation within that space. The objective of this study is to identify the factors that determine residential location preferences towards future neighborhood selection. Current literature focuses on preferences in relation to physical and demographic aspects, such as ownership, income, land use, facilities as well as transportation services. However, this study suggests safety and cultural aspects which are likely to be significant in many contexts. In order to further investigate these suggestions, a case study has been carried out based on Iskandar Malaysia’s development region. A Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is applied to 384 household heads on their housing selection preferences. The result shows that there are significant relationships between residential location preferences and travel behaviour.

Residential Location Preferences: New Perspective

The objective of this paper is to explore residential location and how they relate to travel behavior. The literature focuses on preferences in relation to physical and demographic aspects, such as land uses, facilities, transportation facilities, transportation services, car ownership, income, household size and travel accessibility. However, this study also addresses social and cultural issues such as racial diversity. The case study reported here is based on Iskandar Malaysia development region. Reliability Analysis, Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling are applied to determine the significance factors and the relationship which have been tested to 384 respondents. The results identify that religious factors are influential in terms of residential location preferences. These findings add a different perspective on travel behavior studies, which are heavily dominated by research from Western Europe, North America and Australasia. It is suggested that transport researchers need reject universal conclusions and be clearer about the contexts in which their findings most apply.

A two-level regional approach to residential location choice model

The aim of this paper is the evaluation of approaches to residential location choice model from the viewpoint of a multi-level concept. We discuss a regional level and a local level and their interaction. The main question is whether all the crucial parameters of the residential location choice model should be set at the regional level, or might it include two levels: regional and local? The study compares the state-of-the-art simulation frameworks and proposes a two-level regional approach, which implies the existence of local models and provides regional interactions. Though needing more detailed input data on demographic predictions and residential location preferences as well as attentive geographical division into local areas, the alternative two-level approach can be more flexible than regional approach and capable to provide better prediction and generate additional information.