Work and Home Location: Possible Role of Social Networks.

Recently published:

Tilahun, Nebiyou and David Levinson (2011) Work and Home Location: Possible Role of Social Networks. Transportation Research part A 45(40) pp. 323-331 [doi]

Abstract: This research

explores to what extent people’s work locations are similar to that

of those who live around them. Using the Longitudinal Economic and

Household Dynamics data set and the US census for the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St.

Paul) metropolitan area, we investigate the home and work locations

of different census block residents. Our aim is to investigate if people

who live close to one another, also work close to one another to a

degree beyond what would be expected at random. We find a significantly

non-random correlation between joint home and joint work locations.

Further, we show what features of particular neighborhoods are associated

with comparatively higher incidences of people sharing work locations.

One reason for such an outcome can be the role neighborhood level social

networks play in locating jobs; or conversely work place social networks

play in choosing the home location or both. Such findings should be

used to refine work trip distribution models that otherwise depend mainly

on impedance between the origin and destination

I should note, this whole issue of Transportation Research is about social networks and travel, and quite interesting.