Urban Structure Matters, Even in a Small Town

A recent study in Frederikshavn, Denmark, shows that urban structural variables influence travel behavior also in a small town of around 30 000 inhabitants. As one might expect, socioeconomic and attitudinal factors play a role for the respondents? traveling patterns. But also when controlling for these factors and a range of other potential explanatory variables, we find clear relationships between urban structural characteristics and travel activity. These relationships exist across most subgroups of the population. The statistical relationships found between urban structure and travel behavior are confirmed in qualitative interviews. The distance from the residence to the downtown area is a key factor influencing the accessibility to a number of facility types. These differences in accessibility result in corresponding differences in the actual traveling distances and modal split.