Abstract
To understand the factors shaping commute behaviour, we need to relate dwelling tenure and location to commuting decisions, especially at the expanding edges of emerging megacities such as those in China. This paper proposes a cross-sectional examination of housing choice, public transport provision and automobile related behaviour to understand the underlying mechanism for travel behaviour. Residential communities at the urban periphery (n = 25) were randomly sampled by stratified house price in three suburban extension areas of Beijing. Respondents intercepted in the public environment (n = 1224) provided information on household characteristics, housing tenure, and commute choices over a timeframe. The relationships among these variables were examined using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Research findings showed that public transport provision had positive effect on car ownership, and housing choice including dwelling tenure and job-housing distance had significant impact on automobile ownership and commute as well. Within housing choice, tenure status had positive significant effect on job-housing distance. Public transport provision was also found to have significant impact on housing choice behaviours. While previous work on commuting behaviour has concentrated on transport-related factors, these results indicate that travel outcomes are related to a considerable extent to urban development factors that are susceptible to policy control.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aditjandra, P. T., Cao, X. J., & Mulley, C. (2012). Understanding neighbourhood design impact on travel behaviour: An application of structural equations model to a British metropolitan data. Transportation Research Part A-Policy and Practice., 46(1), 22–32.
Ahmad, N. (1994). A joint model of tenure choice and demand for housing in the City of Karachi. Urban Studies., 31(10), 1691–1706.
Alonso, W. (1964). Location and land use. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Anowar, S., Eluru, N., & Miranda-Moreno, L. F. (2016). Analysis of vehicle ownership evolution in Montreal, Canada using pseudo panel analysis. Transportation., 43(3), 531–548.
Ayvalik, C. K., & Jotin Khisty, C. (2002). Heuristic analysis of impacts of commuter rail station consolidation on pedestrian access. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board., 1793(1), 47–54.
Banerjee, U., & Hine, J. (2016). Interpreting the influence of urban form on household car travel using partial least squares structural equation modelling: Some evidence from Northern Ireland. Transportation Planning and Technology., 39(1), 24–44.
Baraklianos, I., Bouzouina, L., Bonnel, P., & Aissaoui, H. (2018). Does the accessibility measure influence the results of residential location choice modelling? Transportation, 1, 1–30.
Bazyl, M. (2009). Factors influencing tenure choice in European countries. IRISS at CEPS/INSTEAD.
Behrens, R. (2003). Looking beyond commuter travel in Cape Town: Methodological lessons from the application of an activity-based travel survey. In P. Stopher & P. Jones (Eds.), Transport Survey Quality and Innovation. Oxford: Elsevier.
Beijing Municipal Urban Planning Commission. (1982). The masterplan of Beijing (1982–1990).
Beijing Statistics Bureau. (2014). Beijing statistical yearbook. Beijing: China’s Statistic Press.
Beijing Transportation Research Center. (2013). Annual report of Beijing transportation development 2013.
Beijing Transportation Research Center. (2014). Annual report of Beijing transportation development 2014.
Ben-Shahar, D. (2007). Tenure choice in the housing market: Psychological versus economic factors. Environment and Behavior., 39(6), 841–858.
Biba, S., Curtin, K. M., & Manca, G. (2010). A new method for determining the population with walking access to transit. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 24(3), 347–364.
Boarnet, M., & Crane, R. (2001). The influence of land use on travel behavior: Specification and estimation strategies. Transportation Research Part A-Policy and Practice., 35(9), 823–845.
Buckwalter, D. W. (2017). Modal choice in the Pittsburgh metropolitan statistical area: An exploratory data analysis. The Professional Geographer., 69(1), 94–106.
Buehler, R. (2011). Determinants of transport mode choice: A comparison of Germany and the USA. Journal of Transport Geography, 19(4), 644–657.
Cao, J., & Cao, X. (2014). The impacts of LRT, neighbourhood characteristics, and self-selection on auto ownership: Evidence from Minneapolis-St.Paul. Urban Studies., 51(10), 2068–2087.
Cervero, R. (1989). Jobs-housing balancing and regional mobility. Journal of the American Planning Association., 55(2), 136–150.
Cervero, R. (2002). Built environments and mode choice: Toward a normative framework. Transportation Research Part D-Transport and Environment, 7, 265–284.
Cervero, R., & Murakami, J. (2010). Effects of built environments on vehicle miles traveled: Evidence from 370 US urbanized areas. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space., 42(2), 400–418.
Cervero, R., & Wu, K. L. (1997). Polycentrism, commuting, and residential location in the San Francisco Bay Area. Environment and Planning a., 29(5), 865–886.
Chatman, D. G. (2008). Deconstructing development density: Quality, quantity and price effects on household non-work travel. Transportation Research Part a: Policy and Practice., 42(7), 1008–1030.
Chen, R. B., Gehrke, S. R., Liu, J. H., Jang, Y., & Clifton, K. J. (2013). Exploring engagement in household activities and decisions on residential tenure and household type. Transportation Research Record, 2344(1), 68–78.
Chin, W. W. (1998). Commentary: Issues and opinion on structural equation modeling. MIS Quarterly, 22(1), 7–16.
Cho, C. (1997). Joint choice of tenure and dwelling type: A multinomial logit analysis for the city of Chongju. Urban Studies., 34(9), 1459–1473.
Cookson, G. (2018). INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard. Krikland: INRIX Research.
Cullinane, S. (2002). The relationship between car ownership and public transport provision: A case study of Hong Kong. Transport Policy, 9(1), 29–39.
Cullinane, S., & Cullinane, K. (2003). Car dependence in a public transport dominated city: Evidence from Hong Kong. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment., 8(2), 129–138.
Currie, G., & Delbosc, A. (2011). Mobility vs. affordability as motivations for car-ownership choice in Urban Fringe, low-income Australia. In K. Lucas, E. Blumenberg, & R. Weinberger (Eds.), Auto motives (pp. 193–208). Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Dargay, J., & Gately, D. (1999). Income’s effect on car and vehicle ownership, worldwide: 1960–2015. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice., 33(2), 101–138.
Efthymiou, D., & Antoniou, C. (2013). How do transport infrastructure and policies affect house prices and rents? Evidence from Athens, Greece. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice., 52, 1–22.
Ekers, M., Hamel, P., & Keil, R. (2012). Governing Suburbia: Modalities and Mechanisms of Suburban Governance. Regional Studies, 46(3), 405–422.
Elder, H., & Zumpano, L. (1991). Tenure choice, housing demand and residential location. Journal of Real Estate Research., 6(3), 341–356.
Engebretsen, Ø., Næss, P., & Strand, A. (2018). Residential location, workplace location and car driving in four Norwegian cities. European Planning Studies, 26(10), 2036–2057.
Ewing, R., & Cervero, R. (2010). Travel and the built environment. Journal of the American Planning Association., 76(3), 265–294.
Fallis, G. (1983). Housing tenure in a model of consumer choice: A simple diagrammatic analysis. Real Estate Economics., 11(1), 30–44.
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50.
Fu, Q., Zhu, Y., & Ren, Q. (2015). The downside of marketization: A multilevel analysis of housing tenure and types in reform-era urban China. Social Science Research, 49, 126–140.
Gadziński, J., & Radzimski, A. (2016). The first rapid tram line in Poland: How has it affected travel behaviours, housing choices and satisfaction, and apartment prices? Journal of Transport Geography, 54, 451–463.
Gong, P., Li, X., & Zhang, W. (2019). 40-Year (1978–2017) human settlement changes in China reflected by impervious surfaces from satellite remote sensing. Science Bulletin., 64(11), 756–763.
Goodman, A. C. (2003). Following a panel of stayers: Length of stay, tenure choice, and housing demand. Journal of Housing Economics, 12(2), 106–133.
Guerra, E., Cervero, R., & Tischler, D. (2012). Half-mile circle: Does it best represent transit station catchments? Transportation Research Record, 2276(1), 101–109.
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2013a). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2011). PLS-SEM: Indeed a silver bullet. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice., 19(2), 139–152.
Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2013b). Partial least squares structural equation modeling: Rigorous applications, better results and higher acceptance. Long Range Planning, 46(1), 1–12.
Hair, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Pieper, T. M., & Ringle, C. M. (2012). The use of partial least squares structural equation modeling in strategic management research: A review of past practices and recommendations for future applications. Long Range Planning, 45(5), 320–340.
Haque, M. M., Chin, H. C., & Debnath, A. K. (2013). Sustainable, safe, smart—three key elements of Singapore’s evolving transport policies. Transport Policy, 27, 20–31.
Ho, C., & Hensher, D. (2014). Housing prices and price endogeneity in tenure and dwelling type choice models. Case Studies On Transport Policy, 2(3), 107–115.
Huang, Y. (2003). A room of one’s own: Housing consumption and residential crowding in transitional urban China. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space., 35(4), 591–614.
Huang, Y., & Clark, W. A. V. (2002). Housing tenure choice in transitional urban China: A multilevel analysis. Urban Studies, 39(1), 7–32.
Hui, E. C. M. (2007). Population mobility, tenure choice and institutional factors. Urban Policy and Research., 25(3), 305–323.
Ji, J., & Gao, X. L. (2010). Analysis of people’s satisfaction with public transportation in Beijing. Habitat International, 34(4), 464–470.
Karnruzzaman, M., Shatu, F. M., Hine, J., & Turrell, G. (2015). Commuting mode choice in transit oriented development: Disentangling the effects of competitive neighbourhoods, travel attitudes, and self-selection. Transport Policy, 42, 187–196.
Kenyon, S. (2006). The ‘accessibility diary’: Discussing a new methodological approach to understand the impact of Internet use upon personal travel and activity participation. Journal of Transport Geography, 14(2), 123–134.
Kim, H. S., & Kim, E. (2004). Effects of public transit on automobile ownership and use in households of the USA. Review of Urban & Regional Development Studies., 16(3), 245–262.
Kitamura, R., Mokhtarian, P. L., & Laidet, L. (1997). A micro-analysis of land use and travel in five neighborhoods in the San Francisco Bay Area. Transportation, 24(2), 125–158.
Knowles, R. D. (1996). Transport impacts of greater Manchester’s metrolink light rail system. Journal of Transport Geography, 4(1), 1–14.
Ko, J., Lee, S., & Byun, M. (2019). Exploring factors associated with commute mode choice: An application of city-level general social survey data. Transport Policy, 75, 36–46.
Koizumi, N., & McCann, P. (2006). Living on a plot of land as a tenure choice: The case of Panama. Journal of Housing Economics, 15(4), 349–371.
Kurzhanskiy, A. A., & Varaiya, P. (2015). Traffic management: An outlook. Economics of Transportation., 4(3), 135–146.
Li, M. M. (1977). A Logit Model of Homeownership. Econometrica., 45(5), 1081–1097.
Li, S., & Zhao, P. (2017). Exploring car ownership and car use in neighborhoods near metro stations in Beijing: Does the neighborhood built environment matter? Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment., 56, 1–17.
Limanond, T., & Niemeier, D. A. (2003). Accessibility and mode-destination choice decisions: Exploring travel in three neighborhoods in Puget Sound, WA. Environment and Planning B-Planning & Design., 30(2), 219–238.
Lin, X., Zhou, M., Le, X., & Yang, J. (2016). Assessing motor vehicle quota policies in China: Social welfare perspective. Transportation Research Record, 2581(1), 1–8.
Loo, B. P. Y., & Chow, A. S. Y. (2008). Changing urban form in Hong Kong: What are the challenges on sustainable transportation? International Journal of Sustainable Transportation., 2(3), 177–193.
Madden, J. F., & Chiu, L. (1990). The wage effects of residential location and commuting constraints on employed married-women. Urban Studies., 27(3), 353–369.
Manoj, M., Verma, A., & Navyatha, M. (2015). Commute travel and its effect on housing tenure choice of males and females living in the urban and rural areas of Bangalore city in India. Journal of Transport Geography, 45, 62–69.
Marshall, S., & Banister, D. (2000). Travel reduction strategies: intentions and outcomes. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice., 34(5), 321–338.
Martínez, L., & Viegas, J. (2009). Effects of transportation accessibility on residential property values. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board., 2115, 127–137.
Mavoa, S., Witten, K., McCreanor, T., & O Sullivan, D. (2012). GIS based destination accessibility via public transit and walking in Auckland, New Zealand. Journal of Transport Geography, 20(1), 15–22.
Ortalo-Magné, F., & Rady, S. (2002). Tenure choice and the riskiness of non-housing consumption. Journal of Housing Economics, 11(3), 266–279.
O’Sullivan, D., Morrison, A., & Shearer, J. (2000). Using desktop GIS for the investigation of accessibility by public transport: An isochrone approach. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 14(1), 85–104.
Pickvance, C. G. (1973). Life-cycle, housing tenure and intra-urban residential mobility: A causal model. The Sociological Review., 21(2), 279–297.
Potoglou, D., & Kanaroglou, P. S. (2008). Modelling car ownership in urban areas: A case study of Hamilton, Canada. Journal of Transport Geography, 16(1), 42–54.
Ringle, C. M., Wende, S., & Becker, J. (2015). SmartPLS 3. Germany: Boenningstedt.
Saghapour, T., Moridpour, S., & Thompson, R. G. (2016). Public transport accessibility in metropolitan areas: A new approach incorporating population density. Journal of Transport Geography, 54, 273–285.
Silva, J. D. A. E., Golob, T. F., & Goulias, K. G. (2006). Effects of land use characteristics on residence and employment location and travel behavior of urban adult workers. Transportation Research Record, 1977(1), 121–131.
Skaburskis, A. (1999). Modelling the choice of tenure and building type. Urban Studies., 36(13), 2199–2215.
Stevens, M. R. (2017). Does compact development make people drive less? Journal of the American Planning Association., 83(1), 7–18.
Stigell, E., & Schantz, P. (2011). Methods for determining route distances in active commuting—Their validity and reproducibility. Journal of Transport Geography, 19(4), 563–574.
Sun, Z. (2015). Transport equity of suburbanizing Beijing. Beijing: Peking University. (in Chinese).
Sun, B., Ermagun, A., & Dan, B. (2017). Built environmental impacts on commuting mode choice and distance: Evidence from Shanghai. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 52, 441–453.
Wang, D., & Chai, Y. (2009). The jobs-housing relationship and commuting in Beijing, China: the legacy of Danwei. Journal of Transport Geography, 17(1), 30–38.
Wang, D., & Li, S. (2004). Housing preferences in a transitional housing system: The case of Beijing, China. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space., 36(1), 69–87.
Wang, E. R., Song, J. P., & Xu, T. (2011). From “spatial bond” to “spatial mismatch”: An assessment of changing jobs-housing relationship in Beijing. Habitat International., 35(2), 398–409.
Yi, C., & Lee, S. (2014). An empirical analysis of the characteristics of residential location choice in the rapidly changing Korean housing market. Cities, 39, 156–163.
Younes, B. (1995). The benefits of improving public transport: A myth or reality? Transport Reviews, 15(4), 333–356.
Zegras, C. (2010). The built environment and motor vehicle ownership and use: Evidence from Santiago de Chile. Urban Studies., 47(8), 1793–1817.
Zhang, L., Long, R., & Chen, H. (2019). Do car restriction policies effectively promote the development of public transport? World Development, 119, 100–110.
Zhao, F., Chow, L., Li, M., Ubaka, I., & Gan, A. (2003). Forecasting transit walk accessibility: Regression model alternative to buffer method. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 1835, 34–41.
Zhao, P. J., & Lu, B. (2011). Managing urban growth to reduce motorised travel in Beijing: one method of creating a low-carbon city. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 54(7), 959–977.
Zhao, P., Lu, B., & de Roo, G. (2011). The impact of urban growth on commuting patterns in a restructuring city: Evidence from Beijing. Papers in Regional Science., 90(4), 735–754.
Zhou, J., Wang, Y., & Schweitzer, L. (2012). Jobs/housing balance and employer-based travel demand management program returns to scale: Evidence from Los Angeles. Transport Policy, 20, 22–35.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions to improve the quality of this paper. The financial support from Social Science Foundation of Beijing (No. 19GLC065) and the State Administration for Foreign Experts Affairs, People’s Republic of China are gratefully acknowledged.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sun, Z., Zacharias, J. Do housing tenure and public transport provision matter in automobile use in bedroom suburban communities? Evidence from Beijing. J Hous and the Built Environ 36, 241–262 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10901-020-09748-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10901-020-09748-2