Activity participation as a mediating variable to analyze the effect of land use on travel behavior: A structural equation modeling approach

As activity based approach is receiving increased attention over the past decades, a variety of studies have explored the impacts of land use patterns not only on travel behavior but also on activity participation. Using data from the Tengzhou Household Travel Survey, this paper tests the relationships among land use patterns, activity participation and travel behavior, by comparing results from two structural equation models: one model without activity participation and a second model which adds activity participation as a mediating variable between land use patterns and travel behavior characteristics. The results suggest that the indirect effects through activity participation decision play important roles, which may reinforce the direct effects of land use patterns on travel behavior. Moreover, ignoring activity participation as a mediating variable may also lead to insignificant effects of land use patterns. We conclude that the intermediary nature of activity participation should be taken into consideration.