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Although the influence of compact development on travel behavior has been extensively studied over the past decades, additional empirical evidence is needed to better understand that effect. This study explores the influences of the built environment (BE) on zone-based travel patterns using the 2010 Household Travel Survey data in Korea,. We apply seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) and censored regression models to reveal relationships between the BE and zone-based travel patterns in the SMA. Results indicate that: (1) transit-oriented design promotes public transit and suppresses auto trips; (2) the rail mode is more predominant relative to the bus mode; (3) mixed land use with high-density development and gridded pattern streets have a positive impact on walking; and (4) high density and easy access to rail have positive influences on reducing distance traveled by automobiles. Our results suggest that a differentiated strategy is needed to improve urban sustainability in the SMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses the South Korean case to directly identify the factors that affect local governments’ policy instrument choices for achieving the compact city concept and test whether these policy tools lead to low energy consumption and environmentally friendly urban areas. The results of binary logistic regressions show that local governments’ socio-economic characteristics and their locations influence the implementation of compact city-related urban policy instruments. The results of hierarchical linear models suggest that there are strong positive associations between greater urbanization and both transport-related energy consumption and transportation-sector greenhouse gas emissions. These results indicate that urban planning for optimal city size, significant compact city characteristics and effective policies with sufficient financing can help reduce transport-related energy consumption and air pollution. Therefore, we need innovative urban planning policies and policy implementation processes to achieve energy efficiency and air quality improvements in the urban context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]