Do employment centers matter? Consequences for commuting distance in the Los Angeles region, 2002–2019

• Published in: Cities Vol. 145; p. 104669
• Main Authors: Ha, Jaehyun, Lee, Sugie, Kim, Jae Hong, Hipp, John R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2024
• ISSN: 0264-2751; 1873-6084
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2023.104669

The presence of employment centers provides the potential for reducing commuting distance. However, employment centers have distinct attributes, which may lead to varied impacts on commuting outcomes. We examine how proximity to employment centers can influence commuting distance with consideration of the heterogeneity of employment centers and workers. Specifically, we consider various attributes of employment centers related to location, persistency, job density, industry diversity, and size and analyze their impacts on the commuting patterns of low- and high-income workers using panel (2002-2019) data. Our analysis of the Los Angeles region shows that increasing proximity to the nearest employment center decreases commuting distance even after controlling for the job attributes located in the neighborhood of workers. The results further suggest that employment centers are not equal in terms of their impact on commute distance and that their impact is different for commuters from different income groups. Our findings contribute to the literature by deciphering the location and attributes of employment centers that may exert a greater impact on commuting patterns. •Employment center provides the potential for reducing commuting distance.•We examine the effect of distance to centers on commuting distance.•Using fixed effects model, we focus on change within tracts over time.•Employment centers and workers are heterogeneous.•Some employment centers may have greater impact on commuting than others.