Do Compact, Accessible, and Walkable Communities Promote Gender Equality?

GPS-based activity and travel diary surveys have been increasingly used to assess whether transportation and sustainability strategies for compact, mixed-use, and transit accessible communities result in reduced vehicle travel, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, greater opportunities for physical activity, and enhanced accessibility. For instance, the Southern California’s long range plan indicates over 50% of new jobs and housing will be located in high-quality transit corridors, and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) is currently aggressively expanding its rail transit network, but few studies have examined the impacts of such investments on travel and spatial activity patterns. This study provides insights into the impact of rail transit investments and compact development policies. This component examines California Household Travel Survey (CHTS) data to examine whether more compact, mixed-use and transit accessible areas are associated with greater gender equality in the geographic extent of activity-travel patterns given previous research that suggests compact design may help reduce gender differences in the division of household tasks including errands and “chauffeuring travel”.