Dynamic relationships between working from home, commute distance, mode preference, and car use: A six-year longitudinal study
基于荷兰2017-2022年数据，研究居家办公、通勤距离、出行方式偏好与汽车使用之间的双向动态关系，发现居家办公减少汽车使用频率，但疫情期间居家办公增加会延长通勤距离，汽车偏好则维持汽车使用。
The transition to low-carbon mobility has emerged as a key objective of climate action. While much is known about the determinants of modal shifts between cars and other modes, little research was conducted on the dynamic relationships between working from home (WFH), commute distance, mode preference, and car use. Applying random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling, this study provides a six-year (2017–2022) longitudinal analysis in the Netherlands to investigate the bidirectional effects among these targeted variables while accounting for the effects of built environment attributes and life events. Results show that WFH was associated with a significant reduction in car use frequency and higher levels of WFH were related to longer commute distance during COVID-19, while a preference for cars was linked to sustained car use in general. We also found significant effects of urbanity, land use diversity, distance to public transit, and intersection density on car use, car preference, and WFH. In addition, life events, such as job changes, childbirth, and relocation, played a role in reshaping mobility and work behaviors. Therefore, the important roles of WFH, commute distances, mode preference, built environment, and life events provide great implications for transitioning to low-carbon mobility.