Activity participation and activity patterns are determined both by a person's needs and preferences and the opportunities and constraints imposed by the (urban) environment. These opportunities and constraints for activities depend on the activity locations, their distribution and the transport network linking the activity locations. In the context of the policy discussion to reduce traffic, it is either implicitly or explicitly assumed that urban form is systematically related to activity patterns and related trip generation. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of empirical evidence regarding the strength and nature of this assumed relationship. To examine this relationship, a diary survey was administered in 19 neighbourhoods, distributed over 9 Dutch cities, to collect data on daily activity patterns. The cities and neighbourhoods were selected such as to represent a number of different urban forms and transportation networks. The questionnaire consisted of four parts. First, information was gathered on frequent activities, e.g. work, school, shopping, and the trips they generate. Second, for a large number of activities, respondents were asked to report their frequency and time expenditure. The third part was an actual two day activity and trip diary. Finally, some general questions were asked concerning household and residential characteristics. In the paper the main differences are presented between cities and neighbourhoods regarding activity participation, number of trips, travel distances and mode choice.
Abstract