Urbani izziv Volume 30, No. 1, June 2019
: 115-128
(Articles)
UDK: 355.67:314.1(549.1)
doi: 10.5379/urbani-izziv-en-2019-30-01-004
Author
Atif Bilal ASLAM
Department of City and Regional Planning, University of Engineering and Technology Lahore, Pakistan
atif.aslam@uet.edu.pk
Houshmand E. MASOUMI
Centre for Technology and Society, Technical University of Berlin, Nemčija
masoumi@ztg.tu-berlin.de
Nida NAEEM
Department of City and Regional Planning, University of Engineering and Technology Lahore, Pakistan
nida.naeem64@yahoo.com
Mohammad AHMAD
Department of City and Regional Planning, University of Engineering and Technology Lahore, Pakistan
ahmadnoul786@gmail.com
Title
Residential location choices and the role
of mobility, socioeconomics, and land use
in Hafizabad, Pakistan
Abstract
Residential self-selection in developing countries and its
relation to urban transportation are understudied and
not fully understood. This knowledge gap is even greater
in the case of small cities in the developing world. This
study takes Hafizabad, Pakistan as a case study with the
objective of providing data for future quantitative analyses
about residential location choices in small cities on
the Indian subcontinent. A sample of 365 residents was
interviewed from four neighbourhoods with a combined
population of 19,042. This resulted in individual
and household response rates of 1.92% and 12.65% and
confidence levels of ±5.08% and ±4.79% for individual
and household questions. The results show that the most
important factors influencing residents’ decisions about
moving are availability of utilities/services and affordable
prices. Factors related to transportation, accessibility,
and social issues, such as proximity to work and relatives,
come next. The role of transportation in residential location
choices in Hafizabad is less important in comparison
to high-income countries. This finding shows how urban
form can shape residents’ travel behaviour and suggests
that small cities are more compact and walkable because
about 40% of job-related trips are made by walking. The
results of this study will help inform relevant government
organizations about how to effectively devise policies for
small cities because policies grafted from large metropolises
might not work well at a smaller scale.
Key Words
residential self-selection, urban transportation, human perceptions, Pakistan