People's preferences for commuting in sparsely populated areas: The case of Sweden

Abstract

Abstract:In a time of decreased inclination to migrate and an increased place attachment, increasing commuting can improve the functionality of local labor markets. In regional development policy in Sweden, facilitating increased commuting over larger geographical areas is therefore viewed as essential for enhancing the supply of competent labor in all parts of the country and decreasing spatial segmentation. Building on an analysis of data from a survey of Swedish residents' commuting options and preferences, this paper focuses on commuting in a relatively sparsely populated and peripheral area in northern Sweden. Further, the question of whether increased commuting is socially sustainable from a commuter's perspective is discussed. e point of departure is that the individual and the individual's context affect commuting behavior through social norms, geographical structure and available infrastructure. With respect to travel patterns and mode choice, a gender perspective is included in the analyses. e results show that the geographic and socio-economic structure of the labor market place time restrictions on people's commuting behavior and as a consequence people's daily reach in sparsely populated areas is restricted. Geographical structure, available infrastructure, and socio-economic factors (such as education, employment, and family situation) are also found to restrict women's access to the local labor market to a greater extent than men's. Furthermore, the study shows that the inclination to commute declines rapidly when commuting times exceed 45 minutes, regardless of gender, transport mode, and socio-economic factors. Considering distances and the provision of public transport in sparsely populated areas, the car is valued as the most optimal mode of transport when commuting. If regional growth is to be promoted by facilitating commuting over longer distances, a higher level of car dependency must be accepted in sparsely populated areas.

Spatial heterogeneity in repeated measures of perceived stress among car commuters in Scania, Sweden

“…In 2010, one out of eight Swedes moved, although people tended to stay close to their prior home and two-thirds moved within the same municipality [ 48 ]. Overall the majority of Swedes tend to live in the same place for a long time [ 49 ]. Residential relocation almost always affects the distance, time, and route of the commuting trip even if the workplace location and commuting mode remain unchanged.…”

“…A study conducted in northern Sweden showed that the geographical structure of the place shapes commuting. In that study, people living in sparsely populated areas had shorter distances to work, workplaces were concentrated and commuting between them was not considered feasible [ 49 ].…”

Investigating Commuting Time in a Metropolitan Statistical Area Using Spatial Autocorrelation Analysis

“…This study described that sprawl is not the only indicator on commuting length, but workers' socioeconomic characteristics are important in such investigations. Sandow and Westin (2010) analyzed commuting in a relatively sparsely populated and peripheral area in northern Sweden, the results showed geographical structure, available infrastructure and socio-economic factors in restricting people's (especially women's) commuting behavior in sparsely populated areas. Furthermore, this study showed when commuting times exceed 45 min tendency to commute declines rapidly regardless of gender, transport mode and socio-economic factors.…”

The Spatial Impact of Commuting on Income: a Spatial Microsimulation Approach

“…In contrast to this model, search theory assumes that labour and housing markets are not perfectly competitive and that workers cannot fully minimise their commuting costs (Rouvendal, 2004;van Ommeren et al, 1999;van Ommeren and Rietveld, 2007). According to search theory, increasing commuting distances are the outcome of a job search process where longer commutes have been traded for higher wage rates (Westin and Sandow, 2010). Contemporary workforce specialisation gives rise to labour markets offering few potential jobs within 'reasonable' distance, and therefore give rise to so-called 'thin labour markets' (Manning, 2003;Sandow and Westin, 2010).…”

“…According to search theory, increasing commuting distances are the outcome of a job search process where longer commutes have been traded for higher wage rates (Westin and Sandow, 2010). Contemporary workforce specialisation gives rise to labour markets offering few potential jobs within 'reasonable' distance, and therefore give rise to so-called 'thin labour markets' (Manning, 2003;Sandow and Westin, 2010). Therefore, the impact of the labour market on commuting behaviour relates to workers' skills and occupations, with a direct relationship between high education levels and increased mobility and commuting distances (Eliasson et al, 2003;Gruber, 2006;Hazans, 2004;Prashker et al, 2008;Sandow, 2008;Van Haam, 2001).…”