Car Ownership, Commute Distance, and Commute Mode Choice in the Dense Megacity of a Developing Country: The Direct and Indirect Role of the Built Environment

Despite much having been published about the effects of the built environment (BE) on urban travel in the developed world, few articles have so far been published based on studies using a megacity in a developing country. The paper addresses the existing gaps in research by conducting a study in Dhaka, one of the densest urban areas globally. An integrated framework based on the structural equation model and discrete choice model is used to examine how individual commute mode choice behavior is influenced by the BE, as mediated by car ownership and commute distance. Three BE features—population density, street connectivity, and job-to-household ratio—have a direct and total positive association with non-motorized transport use. Although being close to bus stops does not directly affect people’s choice to take non-motorized transport, it does promote non-motorized travel in an indirect way by decreasing car ownership and commute distance. Population density, job-to-household ratio, proximity to the nearest central business district, and bus stop proximity all have a positive direct and total impact on transit use, although larger employment densities directly support automobile use over transit. Understanding how the BE affects commute distance, car ownership, and mode choice is a useful reference for the development of practical measures to reduce demand for automobiles.