Volume List  / Volume 12 (3)

Article

RESIDENTIAL DENSITY AND VEHICLE MILES TRAVELLED: EVIDENCE FROM HARARE METROPOLITAN REGION

DOI: 10.7708/ijtte2022.12(3).08


12 / 3 / 394-403 Pages

Author(s)

James Kanyepe - Department of Supply Chain Management, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe -

Marian Tukuta - Department of Supply Chain Management, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe -

Innocent Chirisa - Department of Demography and Settlement, University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe -


Abstract

The transport system has always been closely linked to urban development. This study was motivated by the growing concerns over rising fuel prices, vehicle ownership and greenhouse-gas. There has been considerable interest on the effect of residential density on vehicle miles travelled (VMT). While this issue has been extensively researched, there remains uncertainty regarding how effective land-use planning might be used as an arsenal in reducing VMT. The study population was comprised of 530 668 households in Harare Metropolitan. Conferring to Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970) formula the sample size for this study was 384 households at 95% confidence level. The study used stratified, convenience and purposive sampling. The researchers used a household survey to collect data from respondents. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to test the validity of all the items used in the study. While the research hypothesis was tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in Amos version 21. The study concludes that residential density positively influences vehicle miles travelled. The fact that travel is a derived demand should encourage planners and policy-makers to consider residential development as an alternative approach to reducing vehicle miles travelled.


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Acknowledgements:

Our sincere appreciation goes to all the respondents for their cooperation and support on data collection.


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