Abstract
Different from the existing studies dealing with compact city policies, this paper evaluates the influences of city compactness on travel behavior patterns in local cities, which are directly linked with the level of quality of life. To improve its practical applicability, a nested discrete choice model incorporating inter-alternative similarities is built at zonal level, based on the concept of relative utility. The widely applied aggregate person-trip data is used. Such modeling approach could properly capture the observed similarities among travel behavior patterns and consequently contribute to its accountability in policy analysis. The effectiveness of model is confirmed. A simulation analysis is conducted focusing on the influence of city compactness by changing the population density nearby city center.
