This paper presents the first results of a project that aims at analysing how changes in the economy of large metropolitan regions will affect mobility, particularly journey-to-work trips. For each zone of the New York City metropolitan region under the jurisdiction of the New York State, the changes in population, economy and employment are examined. The paper shows that the long trend towards a de-concentration of jobs, population and production from Manhattan, the core of the region, has been reversed. Productivity indicators that can be viewed as indicators of the attractiveness of each zone are constructed. It is demonstrated that journey-to-work trips are determined first by the proximity of the job location from the zone of residence, secondly by the attractiveness of Manhattan. Finally, the method used in this paper is applicable to other metropolitan regions including developing ones that are facing economic and technology changes.
Abstract