University of California Transportation Center

Do people make imperfect decisions about where to live and how to travel? There is some evidence that people may overvalue privacy and material goods like housing and undervalue time for activities and social connections. We surveyed 84 individuals, almost all of them university students, before and after a planned move between homes. Respondents answered questions at two points in time about six months apart, before and after moving. They reported ratings of subjective well-being, information on travel patterns, characteristics of homes and neighborhoods, the number and type of social connections, demographics, and significant life events. This working paper describes the survey design and data collection process, and reports on survey results.