Understanding the link between urban form and nonwork travel behavior

Planners are increasingly turning to land use policies as potential solutions to transportation problems in metropolitan areas, yet little evidence exists to support the belief that such policies can be effective in reducing automobile dependence. This paper presents a framework for researching the link between urban form and travel behavior in which urban form is evaluated in terms of the choices available co residents. Case studies of four neighborhoods in the San Francisco Bay Area, two ''traditional'' and two ''modern,'' use this framework to explore the link between urban form characteristics and patterns of shopping travel. The results suggest that certain policies may help provide alternatives to driving, but, that their effectiveness in reducing local travel will be at least partially offset by the range of choices available to residents in metropolitan areas.