Towards sustainable neighbourhoods? Tensions and heterogeneous transport priorities among suburban residents

A major challenge in North America’s car-centric suburbs is developing sustainable transportation strategies that align with residents’ diverse needs and preferences. Using a survey of 1,850 residents in Scarborough, an eastern suburb of Toronto, we used descriptive statistics and an exploded logit model to identify which environmental factors, sociodemographic characteristics, travel behaviors, political values, mobility options and transport barriers, and aspirations influence residents’ transport priorities in terms of space and investment.

Overall, transit investments are considered the top priority, followed by walking, driving, and cycling, with clear neighbourhood-specific variations. Newcomers, older adults, and racialized groups prefer sustainable transport options, while women, white and right-wing individuals prioritize car investment. Moreover, transport priorities are closely linked to people’s lifestyles and neighborhood aspirations, as reflected in the destinations they want near their homes. These findings enhance our understanding of transportation preferences and offer valuable insights for developing effective, context-specific sustainable transportation strategies.