Narges Ahmadnia | University of Vermont

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Presentation Description

This study focuses on understanding the potential impacts of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs), Electric Vehicles (EVs), and the burgeoning trend of remote work on individuals' housing location choices and travel behavior. The central question we evaluate is if AVs, EVs, and remote work are likely to increase or decrease travel demand by allowing people to better satisfy their housing preferences. To address this question, our research employs the theoretical construct of "housing dissonance." This notion encapsulates the prevailing dissatisfaction that individuals frequently encounter with their current housing, including the structure itself and the surrounding community. This analytical framework functions as a perspective through which to investigate how the merging of AVs, EVs, and remote work might have the potential to mitigate this dissatisfaction by reducing travel related constraints on housing location choice, thereby empowering individuals to shift toward living situations that more closely resonate with their aspirations.
To explore this, we conducted a survey in Chittenden County, Vermont, that asked respondents about their satisfaction with various characteristics of their home, neighborhood, and how they travel as well as the importance of each of these to them. We then examine how EVs, AVs and remote work could potentially allow households to improve their satisfaction by addressing housing concerns related to environmental impacts of driving, transportation costs, accessibility, and mobility concerns. The findings reveal that 54% of households are location dissonant and prefer to live in a different type of neighborhood than they currently do. Households residing in rural and suburban areas were the most location dissonant and seeking better access to amenities and transit—an adjustment that AVs could facilitate by simplifying longer commutes. Urban and town center dissonant households expressed dissatisfaction with housing cost, safety, and access to natural amenities, indicating a need for addressing urban housing affordability and improving natural space access. Town centers emerged as the most favored locations, highlighting a demand for compact, mixed-use developments that extend beyond densely urbanized zones. Additionally, EVs are seen as a solution for those concerned with the economic and environmental costs of fuel that would otherwise consider moving to urban areas to save on fuel costs. The findings of this research offer insight into how AVs and EVs may influence travel behavior, particularly in rural areas where transportation options are limited. There may also be a substantial unmet demand for more compact and mixed-use developments in small town settings.

Speaker Biography

Narges Ahmadnia is a PhD candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Vermont. Her research primarily focuses on travel behavior in rural and small communities, exploring critical issues such as mode choice, housing satisfaction, and transportation impacts on climate change.
She holds both a bachelor's and a master's degree in civil engineering from the Iran University of Science and Technology. Her academic journey is marked by a commitment to understanding and improving transportation systems and their impacts on the community development and environment.

Co-presenters

Gregory Rowangould
University of Vermont

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