| This dissertation focuses mainly on studying disaggregate, individual and household level, spatial relocation decisions and the associated vehicle ownership decisions. Such decisions affect not only the transportation system, but they also have a profound effect on land-use, city shape and the overall urban environment. The specific household-level decisions that are considered in the models developed in this dissertation are residential relocation choice and the level of car ownership while the choice of a place of work is studied at the individual level. Although the first two decisions may be made by household members at the individual level, there is enough evidence to suggest that household decisions are reached after extensive consultations among the household members. Group decision making is, therefore important in understanding the decisions reached by household. The magnitude of influence of each household member on the final household decision plus the external market impact on individual's decisions can be named as some of the topics that should be considered when the group decision making process is under study. Although the study of group decision making is well-developed in economics and sociology, applications in the field of transportation are scarce. It is widely accepted that the decisions mentioned above are closely interrelated, very few econometric models have attempted to capture the inter-correlation among them. Thus, this dissertation studies such inter-correlations and develops econometric models that will capture them. |
