Strong Interest in Car-Free Living in the United States: Findings from a Nationwide Survey
The United States (US) is infamously car dependent, causing environmental, safety, and social problems. Planners have suggested actions to reduce car dependence for years; many cities have reformed zoning and parking regulations, and some have allowed private developers to build car-free or car-lite housing in otherwise car-dependent cities. Demand for car-free living in the US is unknown, however. Based on responses to an original, representative national survey (N=2,155), this project sheds light on (1) the magnitude of demand for car-free living in the US, and (2) how car owners interested in car-free living differ from today’s zero-car households. Descriptive statistics indicate that approximately one in five car-owning adults in the US is interested in living car-free, and nearly half are open to it. Multivariate analysis illustrates interest in car-free living is related to having lived without a car in the past, using a car for most trips, and regular transit ridership. Perhaps surprisingly, interest in car-free living is largely unrelated to sociodemographics. These results are limited by the fact that they are based on stated preferences for car-free living. Given the interest in car-free living, planners should allow and facilitate car-free and car-lite development by investing in alternative transportation infrastructure, lowering parking requirements, and encouraging mixed land uses, including in residential neighborhoods.
- Record URL:
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Completed
- Funding: $56466
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Contract Numbers:
69A3551747116
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Sponsor Organizations:
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Managing Organizations:
Center for Teaching Old Models New Tricks (TOMNET)
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ United States 85287 -
Performing Organizations:
Center for Teaching Old Models New Tricks (TOMNET)
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ United States 85287 -
Principal Investigators:
Salon, Deborah
- Start Date: 20230701
- Expected Completion Date: 20240901
- Actual Completion Date: 20240901
- USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Attitudes; Automobile ownership; Automobile travel; Surveys
- Geographic Terms: United States
- Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Society; Transportation (General); Vehicles and Equipment;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01754999
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Center for Teaching Old Models New Tricks (TOMNET)
- Contract Numbers: 69A3551747116
- Files: UTC, RIP
- Created Date: Oct 20 2020 8:43PM