Exploring the relationships of the residential and workplace built environment with commuting mode choice: A hierarchical cross-classified structural equation model

The crucial role that the built environment plays in affecting commuting behavior has been widely examined with a primary focus on the residential built environment. Moreover, the spatial heterogeneities at residential and work locations are rarely considered simultaneously in the literature. Based on data from 2012 Changchun household travel survey, we employed a hierarchical cross-classified structural equation model to explore the relationship between the residential and workplace built environment and commuting mode choice. Additionally, the spatial heterogeneities at both residential and work locations are recognized. The estimation results provide evidence on the necessity of accommodating spatial heterogeneities at both locations. Apart from the residential built environment, all built environment attributes at work locations show significant associations with commuting mode choice. These findings suggest that urban planners should pay more attention to the industrial and commercial areas where most employment opportunities concentrate because of the role that the built environment around workplaces plays.