a retrospective and prospective survey of time-use research.docVIP

A Retrospective and Prospective Survey of Time-Use Research Chandra R. Bhat University of Texas at Austin and Frank S. Koppelman Northwestern University Abstract The central basis of the activity-based approach to travel demand modeling is that individuals activity-travel patterns are a result of their time-use decisions within a continuous time domain. This paper reviews earlier theoretical and empirical research in the time-use area, emphasizing the need to examine activities in the context or setting in which they occur. The review indicates the substantial progress made in the past five years and identifies some possible reasons for this sudden spurt and rejuvenation in the field. The paper concludes that the field of time-use and its relevance to activity-travel modeling has gone substantially past the tip of the iceberg, though it certainly still has a good part of the iceberg to uncover. Important future areas of research are identified and discussed. Keywords: Time use research, activity-based travel modeling, activity episode analysis, time allocation, hazard-based duration model, activity scheduling . Introduction Activitybased travel analysis has received much attention and seen considerable progress in the past decade. It has enabled us to comprehend and appreciate the complexity and variability in the activities that an individual undertakes during any given period. Very broadly, activitybased travel analysis attempts to better understand the behavioral basis for individual decisions regarding participation in activities in certain places at given times. This behavioral basis includes all the factors that influence the how, where and why of performed activities. Among these factors are the needs, preferences, prejudices, and habits of individuals (and households), the cultural/social norms of the community, and the travel service characteristics of the surrounding environment. In the evolution of approaches to travel demand analysis, there has been