Stated preferences for housing within walking distance to shopping areas

A city's points of interest reflect the character and identity of urban environments, setting the scene for various functions and activities. Built form, active travel behaviour and residential preference, all define walkable environments which are conducive to sustainable urban development. This paper introduces an approach associating access to specific points of interest with residential preferences. The aim is to fill a glaring gap in the current literature, regarding the difference in preference between access to shopping malls and street-level shops, and the resulting influence on residential choice. An online survey of 179 respondents in Israel produced part-worth utility estimates, using an aggregate choice-based conjoint method with a conditional logit analysis. With the exception of preferences towards promenade proximity, all the results are statistically significant – dwellings within walking distance to a shopping street are considerably more attractive than those within walking distance to a shopping mall. This indicates the type of shopping area significantly affects the choice of residence. In conclusion, active travel access to a mix of land uses appears to be more important than housing price.