The parenthood effect in urban mobility

TL;DR

This paper examines how parenthood and marriage influence urban mobility patterns, revealing city-specific differences and emphasizing the need for tailored urban planning strategies.

Contribution

It provides a novel analysis of how major life events reshape mobility, highlighting variations across cities and demographic groups using census data.

Findings

Cities differ in accommodating single, married, and parent households' mobility needs.

Parents and married individuals experience distinct mobility costs and access patterns.

Urban planning should consider demographic-specific mobility requirements for better design.

Abstract

We investigate how parenthood and marriage (two major life events) reshape urban mobility patterns, an aspect overlooked in traditional `average citizen' mobility models. Leveraging US census data, we analyse whether these life transitions create distinct urban experiences. Parenthood introduces new priorities including caregiving responsibilities, work-life balance adjustments, and access to family-friendly environments. Similarly, marriage introduces new dynamics including shared household decision-making, potential dual-income benefits, combined residential preferences, and shifts in social networks and lifestyle patterns. Our analysis demonstrates that cities vary significantly in how mobility can be accommodated by different household arrangements: some better accommodate either single individuals (Houston, Virginia Beach) or married people (Atlanta, Baltimore), whereas others favour parents (Cincinnati, Chicago). This classification becomes increasingly relevant for individuals and families as remote work expands relocation possibilities. We find that parents and married individuals face different mobility costs and amenity access patterns compared to their counterparts, with variations consistent across multiple null model tests. This research advances urban planning discourse by advocating for tailored design strategies addressing diverse demographic needs rather than one-size-fits-all approaches.