ABSTRACT
In the international research into urban structure and travel it has – to the extent that multivariate analyses have been carried out at all – been common to include car ownership among the control variables. In the multivariate statistical analyses in Chapters 6 and 7 car ownership was thus one of the control variables. However, in recent years several authors have called attention to the fact that car ownership is in itself influenced by urban structural conditions (Giuliano and Narayan, 2003; Fosli and Lian, 1999; Næss, 2003). Among other things, it may be argued from a time-geographical perspective that the location of the dwelling influences the residents’ need for having private motor vehicles at their disposition. If you live far away from the destinations of the ‘bounded trips’ and are compelled to travel by foot, bike or public transport, these trips will consume a large proportion of the time budget. The time tied up in the necessary everyday travel may then easily supersede other, desired activities, for example being together with the children, participating in organized leisure activities, or managing full-time employment. By providing oneself with a car (or possibly a second car), higher travel speeds are obtained, and more time will be available for other everyday activities.
