In the literature on housing market areas, different approaches can be found to defining them, for example, using travel-to-work areas and, more recently, making use of migration data. Here we propose a simple exercise to shed light on which approach performs better. Using regional data from Catalonia, Spain, we have computed housing market areas with both commuting data and migration data. In ...

BACKGROUND New transport infrastructure may promote a shift towards active travel, thereby improving population health. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a major transport infrastructure project on commuters' mode of travel, trip frequency and distance travelled to work. METHODS Quasi-experimental analysis nested within a cohort study of 470 adults working in Cambridge,...

Improving spatial access to healthy foods in urban regions is recognized as an important component of reducing the prevalence of chronic illness and achieving better health outcomes. Previously, researchers exploring this domain have calculated accessibility measures derived from the travel cost from home locations to nearby food stores. This approach disregards additional opportunities that pr...

Local governments are seeking effective ways to promote sustainable commuting for reducing energy consumption and improving commuters’ experience. They often use so-called “Workplace Travel Plans” as policy interventions to engage work organizations as active players, promoting sustainable commuting amongst their employees. However, it remains difficult to systematically engage work organizatio...

In the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, public transportation is presumed paralyzed and thus unavailable; large numbers of people are expected to experience difficulty in commuting. In recent years, implementation of district continuity plans (DCPs) and business continuity plans (BCPs) has become a major concern for local governments and private firms, respectively. In this paper, we prop...

This paper analyzes price tradeoffs between residential quality and location factors in the Beijing housing market. Unlike most housing markets, location factors completely dominate housing prices in this market. The main reason for this appears to be the physical size of central Beijing, where travel times between different urban activity centers are comparable to typical suburban-urban commut...

Local governments are seeking effective ways to promote sustainable commuting for reducing energy consumption and improving commuters’ experience. We present a threepronged field study of transportation practices, focusing on commuters, organizations, and public administrators. In this position paper we describe the study, our preliminary findings, requirements, and open questions for designing...

At city level, personal monitoring is the best way to assess people's exposure. However, it is usually estimated from a few monitoring stations. Our aim was to determine the exposure to black carbon (BC) and BC dose for 45 schoolchildren with portable microaethalometers and to evaluate the relationship between personal monitoring and fixed stations at schools (indoor and outdoor) and in an urba...