Gender differences in the dissonance between preferred and actual built environment and its implications on travel behavior: A household-level exploration in Ganyu, China

Abstract

The role of attitudes in location decisions has garnered increased attention in land use-transportation interaction research. However, most research concentrates on one-location decisions at the individual level, leaving the situation regarding multiple-location decisions at the household level largely unexplored. Using household-level survey data gathered in Ganyu, China, this research examines the extent to which women and men in dual-earner households with school-age children reside and work in their preferred built environment in terms of transportation, and how this situation holds different implications for their travel behavior. Descriptive analysis showed that approximately half of the respondents in our sample do not live or work in their preferred built environment. Notably, more men than women do not live in their preferred built environment, although they tend to work in their preferred built environment. Furthermore, the distribution of travel mode shares among consonants and dissonants within different locations reveals that the choice of an active travel mode or an e-bike for commuting, both by women and men, is primarily influenced by the work location, followed by travel-related attitudes and residential location. Finally, a heterogeneous impact of the workplace built environment on travel behavior, based on travel preferences, was identified. However, such implications are only evident for women. Our findings underscore the importance of taking into account gender differences in the role of attitudes in making multiple-location decisions and the subsequent effects on travel behavior in land use-transportation policymaking.