Toys for Carpet Knights: Urban Travel Behaviour and Attitudes in the City of Cluj

• Main Authors: Cristian Toşa, Andrei Mitrea
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: NR&DI URBAN-INCERC 2018-03-01
• Series: Urbanism. Arhitectura. Constructii
• Subjects: commuting; occupational groups; urban transport; online survey; Romanian cities
• Online Access: http://uac.incd.ro/Art/v9n1a03.pdf

This is an exercise in studying travel behaviour among morning commuters within the metropolitan area of Cluj, Romania, as well as their attitudes towards urban transport. We have designed and conducted an on-line survey amongst two major occupational groups, namely private and state sector employees. This survey concentrated upon the social and economic characteristics of these two commuter groups, while taking into account existing structural and functional patterns within the built environment. We have received answers that point to a noticeable difference between private and state sector employees, but the overall results are deeply worrying: Travel behaviour in Cluj is surprisingly immune to common sense. It is, however, deeply indebted to personal comfort. Hence, considering current development patterns affecting Romanian cities, this research exercise critically examines travel behaviour and calls for a paradigm shift, which would hopefully lead to more effective transport policies.