How Carsharing affects Land Use

Carshare is particularly useful for people who either live in car-dependent areas and cannot afford a private vehicle, or for urban car-less people who enjoy a diverse array of transportation options that they supplement with driving for trips that require longer-distances, multiple stops, or more storage capacity [1], [2]. Carshare benefits from economies of scale in densely populated cities, and firms can more easily adjust their prices and grow their network flexibly according to consumer demand. Carshare is particularly effective when parking is scarce, there are transit hubs nearby, and land uses are mixed [3]. In lower-density areas, carshare can be more challenging to implement, as people are more likely to enjoy plentiful parking, own their own cars, and have fewer alternatives to driving that would make them more likely to choose to forgo private vehicles [4].

References

  1. J. Paul, M. Pinski, M. Brozen, and E. Blumenberg, “Can Subsidized Carshare Programs Enhance Access for Low-Income Travelers? A Case Study of BlueLA in Los Angeles,” J. Am. Plann. Assoc., pp. 1–14, 2023.

  2. C. Rodier, B. Harold, and Y. Zhang, “Early results from an electric vehicle carsharing service in rural disadvantaged communities in the San Joaquin Valley,” 2021.

  3. S. Hu, P. Chen, H. Lin, C. Xie, and X. Chen, “Promoting carsharing attractiveness and efficiency: An exploratory analysis,” Transp. Res. Part Transp. Environ., vol. 65, pp. 229–243, Dec. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.trd.2018.08.015.

  4. L. Rotaris and R. Danielis, “The role for carsharing in medium to small-sized towns and in less-densely populated rural areas,” Transp. Res. Part Policy Pract., vol. 115, pp. 49–62, Sep. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.tra.2017.07.006

Related Literature Reviews

See Literature Reviews on Carsharing

See Literature Reviews on Land Use

Note: Mobility COE research partners conducted this literature review in Spring of 2024 based on research available at the time. Unless otherwise noted, this content has not been updated to reflect newer research.

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