Food Shopping in the Urban Environment: Parking Supply, Destination Choice, and Mode Choice

Abstract

This research contributes to the well studied influence of urban form on travel behavior with an examination of the specific impact of surface parking lots at supermarkets. Past studies have demonstrated that design elements of a neighborhood (density, mix of uses, street connectivity, sidewalk condition, tree cover, etc.) have correlations with travel behavior (vehicle miles traveled, walking trip rates, transit ridership, etc.). As part of a quasi-experimental methodology, this research surveyed households in neighborhoods adjacent to six supermarkets in Philadelphia, PA. Each neighborhood exhibits the kinds of urban design characteristics associated with high rates of walking. However, three of the supermarkets at the centers of these neighborhoods have large surface parking lots, while the other three do not. Using a discrete choice framework, a model was developed demonstrating that surface parking lots encourage automobile access over pedestrian access. Moreover, while surface parking lots were shown to influence mode choice, they were not shown to increase use of a supermarket by nearby residents.

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