ABSTRACT
The next set of parameters are grouped in Table 6.2 under the heading of social and economic characteristics. They summarise the outcome of economic and social processes which interact. "w is an activity rate which is an outcome of the demand for employment by members of households - say to obtain income which is then used for a variety of purposes-relative to the supply of jobs. This partly depends on taste, partly on the attractions the economy has to offer. Because so many factors are involved, it is difficult to make predictions for the future except to say that th~ current trends towards automation in both manufacturing and service sectors suggest that it is likely to decrease. The two transport deterrence coefficients are also included under this heading because they in part represent consumer preferences for travel - particularly in relation to length of trip - but these are also partly constrained by the alternatives which are on offer to the consumer. They will take lower values in a low density city for example.
