Analysing average travel-to-work distances in Northern Ireland using the 1991 census of population: The effects of locality, social composition, and religion

Shuttleworth I. G. and Lloyd C. D. (2005) Analysing average travel-to-work distances in Northern Ireland using the 1991 Census of Population: the effects of locality, social composition, and religion, Regional Studies 39 , 909-921. Travel-to-work patterns have important implications for national and international debates about employability and the causes of unemployment. Therefore, using Northern Ireland as an example, this paper explores the factors that shape commuting flows using data from the Census of Population. An analytical framework is developed that explores the use of local regression for this type of socio-economic application. The relative importance of locational and social compositional factors as influences on daily travel-to-work patterns is considered. The paper concludes by suggesting that general regression models may hide local variations in relationships and that locational factors, such as proximity to employment opportunities, can outweigh social characteristics as determinants of commuting.