How Does Perceived Neighborhood Environment Affect Commuting Mode Choice and Commuting CO₂ Emissions? An Empirical...

Exploring the impacts of perceived neighborhood environment on commuting behavior and travel-related CO₂ emissions helps policymakers formulate regional low-carbon transport policies. Most studies have examined the impact of the objective measures of built environment on travel behavior and related CO₂ emissions, and few studies have focused on perceived neighborhood environment. This study develops a structural equation model and uses data from a self-administered survey of urban full-time employees in Nanjing, China to examine the direct and indirect effects of perceived neighborhood environment on commuting mode choice and commuting CO₂ emissions. The study shows that perceived service facilities has a significant direct effect on commuting mode and a significant indirect effect on commuting CO₂ through the mediating effect of commuting mode choice. While socio-demographic variables such as gender have a significant direct impact on commuting mode and commuting CO₂ emissions, they have an indirect impact on commuting mode and commuting CO₂ emissions through the intermediate variables (such as car ownership, perceived neighborhood environment and commuting distance). The conclusions of this study show that the potential of commuting CO₂ emissions reduction in China is enormous, and that policy interventions on commuting would help developing countries such as China achieve the goals of low-carbon transport and sustainable development.