Exploration of Changes in Residential Locational Choice as Measured by Household Head's Journey to Work for 1974 and 1977

Abstract

This study was my first attempt at exploratory research, and as such, has been very enlightening. In this type of study, one is never quite sure where to turn or how to approach the subject at hand. In the case of housing and commuting behavior, there were so many overlapping, yet diverse elements that it was easy to get carried away with the possibilities that presented themselves. On the other hand, as my committee members kept reminding me, this was not supposed to be a life's work, just a master's thesis, so it had to be necessarily limited in what could be addressed. Essentially the main thrust of this study was to have been to determine whether the rising costs of commuting had influenced the housing location choices of our nation, i.e. were people adjusting their home-work distance by moving closer to their workplace. While the present study approaches this question indirectly, the data did not lend itself to longitudinal study of particular households and their commuting behavior since it is based on housing units. Also, before exploring peoples' attitudes about their commuting and housing choices, it was necessary to determine if any changes had actually taken place in the time period studied.