Conditions and effectiveness of land use as a mobility tool

This dissertation examines the potential of land use as a mobility tool to affect travel, a subject of long and ongoing policy debate. Land use strategies such as densification, mixed-use development, and non-driving-oriented design have been recommended by many to reduce vehicle travel. Others argue that land use is an ineffective mobility tool; direct and effectual policies are economic measures such as pricing. This dissertation suggests that either is necessary but not sufficient. To achieve the environmental and social objectives of transportation, the two should act together as complements. The mobility role of land use is to modify transportation supply and to support expansion of travel choices, whereas pricing is to manage and redirect vehicle travel demand. This dissertation presents two case studies: Metropolitan Boston and Hong Kong. Taking a disaggregate approach, the empirical analysis builds on the economic choice theory and focuses on three aspects of travel behavior: mode choice, trip frequency and automobile dependence. Logit models of mode choice and trip frequency are estimated to examine the importance and magnitude of land use affecting travel when travel costs and socio-demographic factors are controlled for.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2002

Author dc:creator

• Zhang, Ming, 1963 Apr. 22-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Ralph Gakenheimer.

• Urban Studies and Planning.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/8014

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/8014