The moderating role of urbanity on travel distance

Abstract

Urban densification is one of the most relevant strategies to reduce the housing shortage in the Netherlands, as it also aims to prevent additional pressure on transportation networks and contributes to more sustainable travel. The effects of the built environment on travel behaviour have been studied extensively. To date, most studies focused on homogeneous effects of the built environment on travel behaviour indicators. Less attention is paid to possible heterogeneity in the effects dependent on other variables. This study applies moderated multiple regression on Netherlands Mobility Panel data to analyse possible heterogeneity of the effects of determinants of travel behaviour on daily travel distance, dependent on the level of urbanisation. The results show that various determinants indeed have effects with varying strengths, dependent on the level of urbanisation. The findings advance the understanding of the relationships between built environment and travel behaviour, which could be used to design tailor-suited policies that efficiently target specific groups. In relation with the built environment, the results show that densification strategies have the desired effects. However, accompanying mobility strategies are necessary to achieve the full potential of urban densification.