"Why can't we get around?" Travelling under constraints in metro vancouver

Abstract

In recent years, many researchers have studied the decreasing prevalence of walking and cycling among children and youth. Little research has focussed on young adults, however, and studies of younger age groups tend to ignore public transit ridership even though young people show high public transit use in Canadian cities. How, where, and why do young people travel? This small-scale, exploratory study examined the non-work non-school travel patterns of youth (17-21) and young adults (22-25) in Metropolitan Vancouver. Focus groups and social mapping revealed several constraints upon young people's social travel, but also demonstrated participants' awareness of larger issues around transportation planning (including the high costs of gasoline and the environmental consequences of driving). The research suggests that in large cities with viable public transit systems, young people may delay car ownership which could have positive implications for urban regions. Copyright © 2010 by the Institute of Urban Studies.