Household travel decisions and well-being in small Chinese cities: Evidence from commuters in Ganyu

Abstract

Increased car use in modern society poses a series of challenges, including air pollution, traffic congestion, and the deterioration of urban livability. These issues are becoming serious in some of China's small cities. This research informs transport policies in small Chinese cities by exploring the interactions between land use patterns, attitudes, and travel behavior and by investigating how the amount of time used across different activities impacts individual well-being within dual-earner households in Ganyu, a small Chinese city. The analysis first shows different travel behaviors: most residents in Ganyu commute short distances and often use e-bikes. Also, residential self-selection was found to a limited extent, suggesting that residents do not choose residences based on travel needs and preferences. Moreover, the study found that the relationship between attitudes, land use, and travel behavior was gendered and so worked differently among different household members: women and men prioritized travel needs and preferences differently at residential and work locations. This research also uncovered the intra-household interactions around time use, which resulted in different levels of satisfaction for each spouse in different domains and overall life. Our study suggests that policies that target sustainable travel patterns and enhanced individual well-being should consider the geographical context as well as intra-household interactions.