Series/Report no.:
42nd Congress of the European Regional Science Association: "From Industry to Advanced Services - Perspectives of European Metropolitan Regions", August 27th - 31st, 2002, Dortmund, Germany
Abstract:
Established analysis of labour market commuting are based on random choice models and gravity type models. In these models generalised transport costs are formulated as exponential or loglinear distance-dependent functions. This paper presents empirical observations that imply that time-distances influence the commuting behaviour in a non-linear way, such that the time sensitivity is much lower for very short and long distances, whereas intermediate distance display a high time sensitivity. This is explained in a model which is parametrised and estimated. The results are important for understanding and predicting commuter behaviour. It also helps to delineate space, as in classical traditions, into local, intra-regional, and extra-regional space.