Activity–Travel Behaviour Research: Conceptual Issues, State of the Art, and Emerging Perspectives on Behavioural Analysis and Simulation Modelling

It is concluded that the advancement of new modelling concepts and approaches, in the presence of substantial methodological diversity, needs to be balanced with research into the kinds of behavioural and analytic issues raised in the paper.

Abstract

The ‘human activity approach’ to the study of travel behaviour represents a synthesis of concepts and analytic approaches partially drawn from several subdisciplines concerned with human spatial behaviour. Underlying the approach is the widely accepted view that travel demand emerges in response to individual and household requirements for activity participation. Study of the literature reveals a diverse array of research interests, equalled by the application of a broad assortment of modelling approaches and tools for analysis. The paper begins with a discussion of several conceptual issues that, if addressed, could enhance the behavioural rigour of on‐going research. The rest of the paper updates the literature with respect to state of the art and emerging approaches to activity--travel analysis and modelling. Overall, it is concluded that the advancement of new modelling concepts and approaches, in the presence of substantial methodological diversity, needs to be balanced with research into the kinds of behavioural and analytic issues raised in the paper.