Urban Mobility Culture toward Sustainable Transportation Planning

Case study of Makassar, Indonesia, a mid-size city in developing country

Abstract

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) has emerged as a globally recognized framework for promoting sustainable urban mobility and reducing traffic congestion. While its implementation has shown considerable success in developed cities, applying TOD principles in developing contexts presents complex challenges—chief among them, the lack of alignment with local mobility cultures. This study addresses a critical gap in TOD research by examining the extent to which mobility culture influences the effectiveness of TOD strategies in Makassar, a medium-sized city in eastern Indonesia. The research aims to 1) assess the mobility culture of Makassar residents, particularly their behavioural responses and preferences for their daily activities need and 2) analyse the mobility culture toward current provision of mass public transportation in relation to TOD principles. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study draws on data from 425 respondents. Descriptive statistics, qualitative analysis, and spatial mapping techniques were employed to uncover patterns in travel behaviour and mode choice. Findings reveal 1) the mobility culture of the residents that pronounced dependence on private vehicles, especially motorcycles, for both short and long-distance travel; the dependency influenced by flexibility, convenience, and perceived practicality are the dominant factors driving this preference; 2) Over 50% of respondents reported never using public transport for daily activities. Only a few residents expressed willingness to adopt multi-modal travel or TOD-supportive practices such as park-and-ride schemes. These results highlight the requirement of future urban mobility provisions should address mobility culture that prioritizes directness, uninterrupted travel and personal freedom. The study underscores the necessity of integrating sociocultural factors in future transit development.