How COVID-19 changed mobility: A life-oriented approach to travel behavior change in Flanders, Belgium

Hannah Hook, Jonas De vos, Veronique Van Acker, Frank Witlox

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

This research regards the COVID-19 pandemic as a major life event with the ability to affect daily activity-travel behavior, and investigates if specific activity participation (work/study, shopping, social contact, free time) is associated with different travel modes (walk, cycle, car, public transportation), with attention paid to residential neighborhood using survey data (n = 854) in Flanders, Belgium. Through mean-comparison tests and regression analyses, evidence was found of (1) compensation for changed working/studying time with walking time, (2) compensation for changed social contact with cycling, and (3) similarly affected travel behavior regardless of residential neighborhood, though suburban residents may have more mode-resilience and less reliance on public transportation. Further evidence indicate that those working/studying may have taken advantage of decreased traffic and congestion with an increase in car and public transportation use and that older respondents may be more likely to hold flexible, teleworkable jobs and treat the pandemic with greater caution. Some travel behavior changes are expected to persist post-pandemic, therefore understanding which life domains are associated with which travel modes can inform policy aiming to decrease motorized and increase active mode use (e.g., for health or sustainability goals).
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCOVID-19 and a World of Ad Hoc Geographies
EditorsStanley D. Brunn, Donna Gilbreath
Place of PublicationCham
PublisherSpringer Nature Switzerland AG
Pages1813-1827
Number of pages15
Edition1
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-030-94350-9
ISBN (Print)978-3-030-94349-3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 Sept 2022

Keywords

  • daily travel
  • travel mode
  • life domains
  • urban mobility
  • pandemic mobility
  • COVID-19

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