<p>Gottfridsson, H. O., 2007, Färdmedelsvalets komplexa förutsättningar – En studie av arbetspendling i småbarnshushåll med Kils kommun som exempel, (Complex conditions governing choice of transport – A study of parents of young children commuting to work from the municipality of Kil).</p><p>Travel is a means through which people fulfil a variety of social and biological requirements. In turn, the purpose, destination and identity of the traveller set different requirements that different forms of transport have different opportunities of fulfilling.</p><p>The purpose of this dissertation is to find out about the complex conditions that form the scope for action in the choice of transport, in this particular case for parents of young children when travelling to and from work. The dissertation emphasises the importance of studying the whole picture and of the interchange between the component parts in order to gain a better understanding of the conditions governing a commuter’s choice of transport.</p><p>In the study a theoretical framework of reference is gradually established by mixing empiricism and theory. As a result, a number of factors significant for the transport selection process are identified. These factors include the composition and organisation of the household, transport system structures, local community structures and the resources and preferences of the commuter.</p><p>Several methods were used during the collection of data. Data about commuters was collected via surveys and travel diaries. Traffic systems and associated structures were studied with the help of maps.</p><p>Work requirements combined with local structures such as the location of the home, workplace and services, and how the household chooses to organise daily activities, place specific demands on the planning of the journey to and from work. Different transport systems meet these demands in varying degrees. The choice of transport is also determined by the commuter’s socio-economic situation, travel resources and how he or she, depending on motives, knowledge and habits finally perceives the alternatives available.</p><p>The results confirm that car users and public transport users have different strategies when choosing transport. The results also indicate that there are commuters who declare the same grounds for their choice of transport, but who in practice conclude different consequences and choose different means of transport. The data also indicates clearly that among users of public transport there are major differences in journey times, number of stops, distance to bus stops and travel costs, and that commuters who use public transport are more complex as a group.</p>

Gottfridsson, H. O., 2007, Färdmedelsvalets komplexa förutsättningar – En studie av arbetspendling i småbarnshushåll med Kils kommun som exempel, (Complex conditions governing choice of transport – A study of parents of young children commuting to work from the municipality of Kil). Travel is a means through which people fulfil a variety of social and biological requirements. In turn, the purpose, destination and identity of the traveller set different requirements that different forms of transport have different opportunities of fulfilling. The purpose of this dissertation is to find out about the complex conditions that form the scope for action in the choice of transport, in this particular case for parents of young children when travelling to and from work. The dissertation emphasises the importance of studying the whole picture and of the interchange between the component parts in order to gain a better understanding of the conditions governing a commuter’s choice of transport. In the study a theoretical framework of reference is gradually established by mixing empiricism and theory. As a result, a number of factors significant for the transport selection process are identified. These factors include the composition and organisation of the household, transport system structures, local community structures and the resources and preferences of the commuter. Several methods were used during the collection of data. Data about commuters was collected via surveys and travel diaries. Traffic systems and associated structures were studied with the help of maps. Work requirements combined with local structures such as the location of the home, workplace and services, and how the household chooses to organise daily activities, place specific demands on the planning of the journey to and from work. Different transport systems meet these demands in varying degrees. The choice of transport is also determined by the commuter’s socio-economic situation, travel resources and how he or she, depending on motives, knowledge and habits finally perceives the alternatives available. The results confirm that car users and public transport users have different strategies when choosing transport. The results also indicate that there are commuters who declare the same grounds for their choice of transport, but who in practice conclude different consequences and choose different means of transport. The data also indicates clearly that among users of public transport there are major differences in journey times, number of stops, distance to bus stops and travel costs, and that commuters who use public transport are more complex as a group.

La densification de la ville est l’un des principaux objectifs de l’action publique pour bâtir des milieux de vie de qualité. Mais la densité est un concept polysémique et relatif : on constate un écart entre la densité telle qu’elle est préconisée en aménagement et celle vécue par les populations. Parallèlement, on observe l’exode des jeunes familles montréalaises vers les territoires périurbains de faible densité. Enfin, la littérature souligne une relation positive entre densité, mixité et pratique de la marche. Cette recherche explore les perceptions des parents de jeunes enfants à l’égard de leur environnement bâti, en particulier de sa densité, et en identifie les facteurs qui influencent positivement leur pratique de la marche. Après avoir caractérisé les formes urbaines de deux quartiers montréalais aux densités différentes, nous avons interrogé des parents de jeunes enfants sur leur expérience lors de 16 entrevues semi-dirigées et d’un groupe de discussion. Puis nous avons étudié la relation entre les variables personnelles des participants, leurs perceptions de la densité et leurs pratiques de la marche. Nos résultats mettent en évidence la quête d’un équilibre entre les avantages et inconvénients de la densité, dont les principales variables sont les formes urbaines, les services de proximité et la présence d’animation, la végétation étant un paramètre incontournable pour tous les parents. Caractéristiques clés d’une ville intense, ces paramètres corroborent la littérature existante à ce sujet, en mettant en évidence leur importance dans la création de milieux de vie plus denses pour les jeunes familles et leur influence positive sur la marche. / City densification is a central concern of public planning in order to build healthy living environments. Yet, density is polysemous and a relative concept: we note a difference between a city’s recommended density and density as experienced by citizens. Meanwhile, an urban exodus of families with young children to low density suburban neighbourhoods is ongoing. Finally, studies emphasize a positive link between density, mixity and walking behaviour. The aim of this research is to explore the perceptions of parents with young children in relation to their built environment - and its density in particular - in order to identify factors that positively influence their walking behaviours. We address this case by studying two Montreal neighbourhoods that present different densities. After analysing the urban forms of each neighbourhood, we organised 16 semi-directed interviews and a focus group with parents of young children about their experiences. We analysed the relationship between participants’ individual variables, their perceptions of density and their walking behaviours. Our results highlight the parents’ desire for a balance between the advantages and the disadvantages of density, of which main variables are urban form, community services and street life. The presence of vegetation is considered as a must-to-have for all parents. Key features of an intensive city, those parameters support the existing literature by emphasizing their great significance in the creation of denser living environments for young families and their positive influence over walking behaviour.