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Title: Unpacking Preference: How Previous Experience Affects Auto Ownership in the United States

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2010

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Abstract: As environmental concerns mount alongside increasing auto dependence, research hasbeen devoted to understanding the number of automobiles households own. The 2000US census public use micro sample is used to demonstrate the importance of preferenceformation in auto ownership by studying auto ownership among recent movers. Using amultinomial probit model, the paper demonstrates that residents in the US transit citieswho moved from major metropolitan areas are more likely to own fewer vehicles thancounterparts who moved from smaller metropolitan areas and non-metropolitan areas. It isconcluded that these results are due to learned preferences for levels of car ownership. Oncethe self-reinforcing cultural knowledge of living without cars is lost, it could be difficultto regain. A focus on children and young adults, familiarising them with alternatives tothe car may be an important approach to developing collective preferences for fewer cars.

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Authors: Weinberger, Rachel; Goetzke, Frank

Periodical (Full): Urban Studies

Issue: 10

Volume: 47

Pages: 2111-2128

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Other

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