My Transportation and Shopping Behaviour

Assignment #3: “My Transportation and Shopping Behaviour”
During Weeks Four and Five of the course we examined the growth of Canadian cities and, as part of this, how they have become increasingly automobile dependent over time. We also saw that urban retail patterns have changed considerably over time in conjunction with growing automobile dependence. In order to build and demonstrate your understanding of these geographical processes, your task for Assignment #3 is to consider the extent to which you live an automobile dependent lifestyle in your day-to-day travel behaviour, with a particular emphasis on how this is revealed in your retail shopping patterns. There are three parts to this assignment, all of which should be included in your submitted paper.
First, make reference to the Week Four and Five lecture materials and textbook readings in order
to summarize what automobile dependence is, along with the three main characteristics of
automobile-dependent cities. Once you have talked about automobile dependence more generally
in a few paragraphs, write a paragraph in which you explain how today’s urban (and suburban)
retail patterns generally reflect the characteristics of automobile dependence.
Second, describe your own day-to-day travel/transportation behaviour in terms of what modes
you do and don’t use to reach typical destinations (school, work, friends’ houses, etc.), as well as
why this is the case. That is, what factors go into your transportation decision-making? If you
drive to most (or all) places, explain in detail why this is your preferred mode. Is it due, for
example, to personal preferences, or is it due to a lack of other transportation options? Similarly,
if you tend to use public transit, walking or cycling as your main mode of transportation, why is
this the case? Again, why do you use this mode (or these modes, if more than one) instead of
other possible options? Make sure to provide the reader of your paper with a well-detailed
description of your decision-making process. (For example, don’t just say “it’s convenient” –
what is it, exactly, that makes it convenient? Dig deep in thinking about this and describing it!)
In this section of your paper you should also describe your own typical shopping behaviour,
including where you shop and why you choose to go to these places, how you get there, and why
you use this/these mode(s) to get there. For example, is it something about the stores themselves
that attracts you to shop there (e.g., brand name products, lower prices, etc.), is it the
accessibility of the stores to you using your typical mode(s) of transportation, or some other
factors? Again, explain this in detail.
The third component of your paper should provide to the reader a more thoughtful and critical
analysis of your transportation and shopping behaviour. More specifically, summarize what
factors seem to be the most influential in your use of different transportation modes (e.g.,
personal characteristics and preferences, lack of transportation options, the geographical location
of your residence, etc.). And, finally, offer an overall assessment of how automobile dependent
your lifestyle is in general and, in particular, as it relates to your shopping patterns. For example,
would you say you are an automobile dependent person or would you say that your day-to-day
travel behaviour more typically involves the use of sustainable modes of transportation?
Technical Requirements:
• a minimum of 4-5 double-spaced pages with a 12-point font
• be sure to make reference to course materials (textbook and/or lectures)
o also consider using other sources such as academic journal articles, government
documents, or news articles in order to boost your grade
•
• upload to Sakai “Submit Assignments” in MS Word format