Residential self-selection and the reverse causation hypothesis: Assessing the endogeneity of stated reasons for residential choice

Kroesen, 2019, in Travel Behaviour and Society

doi:10.1016/j.tbs.2019.05.002
Location Netherlands
Population General
Sample size 1824
Factor analysis type none, none rotation
Stepwise regression no
Removal of insignificant variables no
Reviewed by LCM

Abstract

Residential self-selection is a well-recognized potential bias in estimating the true effects of the built environment on travel behavior. A popular method to account for residential self-selection is by including people's attitudes towards various modes as additional control variables in the regression. Yet, while attitudes may indeed influence both residential location choice and travel behavior, they may, in turn, also be affected by these factors. This paper aims to assess to what extent the built environment and travel behavior influence people's stated reasons for living in a certain location over time, which would mean that these reasons are actually endogenous to the built environment and travel behavior. To achieve this aim panel data are used from the same respondents (who did not move house)asking them at two points in time (two years apart)to state their reasons for their current residential choice. The data are modeled using a latent transition model. The results indicate that approximately 39% of the Dutch population belongs to a class which attaches importance to short distances to public transport and shops. Moreover, the distance to the train station, the amount of travel by train and car ownership at the first point in time are found to influence the probability that a person (still)belongs to this class at the second point in time, providing evidence that the built environment and travel behavior temporally precede travel related residential preferences. The results suggest that the use of stated reasons for residential choice as control variables is problematic. © 2019 Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies

Factors

Variable Pattern loading
Variable Pattern loading
Variable Pattern loading

Models

Dependent variable Class membership
Model type LCM
Sample size 1824.0
R2 nan
Adjusted R2
Pseudo R2 (nan) nan
AIC nan
BIC nan
Log-likelihood at zero nan
Log-likelihood at constants nan
Log-likelihood at convergence nan
High access class
Variable Coefficient p-value
Intercept -0.25 0.81
Level of urbanization -0.239 0
Distance between train station and residential location (km) -0.005 0.02
Frequency of car use -0.114 0.06
Frequency of train use 0.206 0
Frequency of bicycle use 0.1 0
Number of cars in household -0.048 0.12
Gender 0.101 0.45
Age 18-29 0.093 0.26
Age 30-59 -0.125 nan
Age 60+ 0.033 nan
Level of education 0.105 0.01
Presence of young children (< 12 years of age) -0.212 0.01
Household income 0.028 0.29
Moderate access class
Variable Coefficient p-value
Intercept -0.058 0.81
Level of urbanization 0.118 0
Distance between train station and residential location (km) -0.008 0.02
Frequency of car use 0.074 0.06
Frequency of train use 0.114 0
Frequency of bicycle use -0.015 0
Number of cars in household -0.092 0.12
Gender -0.072 0.45
Age 18-29 -0.012 0.26
Age 30-59 0.095 nan
Age 60+ -0.084 nan
Level of education 0.036 0.01
Presence of young children (< 12 years of age) 0.278 0.01
Household income 0.039 0.29
No access class
Variable Coefficient p-value
Intercept 0.309 0.81
Level of urbanization 0.121 0
Distance between train station and residential location (km) 0.012 0.02
Frequency of car use 0.041 0.06
Frequency of train use -0.092 0
Frequency of bicycle use -0.085 0
Number of cars in household 0.14 0.12
Gender -0.026 0.45
Age 18-29 -0.081 0.26
Age 30-59 0.03 nan
Age 60+ 0.051 nan
Level of education -0.141 0.01
Presence of young children (< 12 years of age) -0.066 0.01
Household income -0.067 0.29
Dependent variable Class membership
Model type LCM
Sample size 1824.0
R2 nan
Adjusted R2
Pseudo R2 (nan) nan
AIC nan
BIC nan
Log-likelihood at zero nan
Log-likelihood at constants nan
Log-likelihood at convergence nan
High access class
Variable Coefficient p-value
Intercept -0.784 0.39
Class membership in 2014: class 1 1.493 0
Class membership in 2014: class 2 -1.013 nan
Class membership in 2014: class 3 -0.479 nan
Level of urbanization 0.013 0.66
Distance between train station and residential location (km) -0.029 0
Frequency of car use 0.012 0.15
Frequency of train use 0.129 0.01
Frequency of bicycle use -0.029 0.77
Number of cars in household -0.37 0
Gender 0.131 0.47
Age 18-29 -0.112 0.41
Age 30-59 0.064 nan
Age 60+ 0.048 nan
Level of education 0.014 0.5
Presence of young children (< 12 years of age) 0.2 0.23
Household income 0.158 0.02
Job change -0.352 0
Started working -0.317 0.23
Stopped working 0.639 0.22
Birth of a child 0.403 0.01
Divorce 0.521 0.73
Started living together -0.882 0.24
Moderate access class
Variable Coefficient p-value
Intercept 0.708 0.39
Class membership in 2014: class 1 -0.259 0
Class membership in 2014: class 2 0.798 nan
Class membership in 2014: class 3 -0.539 nan
Level of urbanization 0.024 0.66
Distance between train station and residential location (km) 0.009 0
Frequency of car use -0.094 0.15
Frequency of train use -0.089 0.01
Frequency of bicycle use 0.007 0.77
Number of cars in household 0.209 0
Gender -0.01 0.47
Age 18-29 0.074 0.41
Age 30-59 0.05 nan
Age 60+ -0.124 nan
Level of education 0.035 0.5
Presence of young children (< 12 years of age) 0.019 0.23
Household income -0.037 0.02
Job change -0.151 0
Started working 0.647 0.23
Stopped working -0.603 0.22
Birth of a child 0.79 0.01
Divorce -0.443 0.73
Started living together 0.281 0.24
No access class
Variable Coefficient p-value
Intercept 0.076 0.39
Class membership in 2014: class 1 -1.234 0
Class membership in 2014: class 2 0.215 nan
Class membership in 2014: class 3 1.019 nan
Level of urbanization -0.036 0.66
Distance between train station and residential location (km) 0.021 0
Frequency of car use 0.082 0.15
Frequency of train use -0.04 0.01
Frequency of bicycle use 0.022 0.77
Number of cars in household 0.161 0
Gender -0.122 0.47
Age 18-29 0.037 0.41
Age 30-59 -0.114 nan
Age 60+ 0.077 nan
Level of education -0.048 0.5
Presence of young children (< 12 years of age) -0.219 0.23
Household income -0.121 0.02
Job change 0.503 0
Started working -0.33 0.23
Stopped working -0.036 0.22
Birth of a child -1.193 0.01
Divorce -0.078 0.73
Started living together 0.601 0.24

The Attitudes and Travel Database is produced with support from the Center for Teaching Old Models New Tricks at Arizona State University, a University Transportation Center sponsored by the US Department of Transportation through Grant No. 69A3551747116.

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