Unpacking Travel Needs and Experiences: Insights from Qualitative Interviews with Affordable Housing Residents in California

Objective: This project explores how residents in two affordable housing complexes in Sonoma County, California, navigate their transportation needs. The study examines the various factors influencing their transportation choices, emphasizing the transition to decarbonized transportation systems and the experiences of underserved communities.

Main Impact: The findings from the study highlight how individual circumstances, including economic constraints, family responsibilities, and interactions with the criminal justice system, shape residents' transportation decisions. By examining these intersections, the research provides valuable insights for policymakers, planners, and engineers to design equitable and sustainable transportation systems that address the needs of historically marginalized populations. This work aligns with California’s clean mobility goals by ensuring the transportation needs of these communities are prioritized in the transition to decarbonization.

Relevant Paper: Olagoke, U., Daly, S. R., and Syal, S. M., 2024, "Unpacking Travel Needs and Experiences: Insights from Qualitative Interviews with Affordable Housing Residents in California," Energy Research and Social Science, 118, pp. 103723. [link]

Lead EMBERlab Researcher: Uthman Olagoke with co-advisor Prof. Shanna R. Daly

Acknowledgements: Stanford University team - Dr. Nora Hennessy, Prof. Margot Gerritsen, Ms. Karen Eggerman

Funding: Stanford Earth; University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School