Voyage of the SS Minivan: Women's Travel Behavior in Traditional and Suburban Neighborhoods

Numerous studies have examined the interactions between travel behavior and neighborhood design. However, little thought is given specifically to gender differences. Although sex is considered a possible independent variable in most multivariate statistical analyses, few studies focus primarily on travel behavior by gender as it is influenced by neighborhood design. Even fewer studies have examined the differences in travel behavior among women by neighborhood type. Naturally, women are not a homogeneous group and are characterized by a variety of preferences, needs, perceptions, and behaviors. This study uses a survey of residents of eight neighborhoods in Northern California. The survey collected data on their travel behavior as well as both their preferences for and their perceptions of neighborhood characteristics. The main questions that this study addresses are as follows: Are there gender differences in travel behavior? If so, what are the causes and the effects? Are there differences among women by neighborhood type, life cycle stage, presence of children, and so forth? The findings point to some significant differences for and among women, particularly not only by both the social and the infrastructure aspects of safety but also by neighborhood type (suburban versus traditional neighborhood) and the presence of children.