Barriers and Opportunities for Transit-Oriented Development in Poland from a Socio-Psychological Perspective

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2025

Subject Area

place - europe, land use - transit oriented development, land use - planning, policy - sustainable, ridership - behaviour, ridership - mode choice

Keywords

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)

Abstract

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is one of the most effective concepts for integrating transport policy and spatial planning to achieve sustainable development goals. However, TOD has yet to gain widespread popularity or social acceptance in many regions around the world, even in areas where infrastructure and organizational conditions are relatively favourable, such as in Central and Eastern Europe. This article provides a theoretical framework for understanding the socio-psychological determinants of travel and residential location choices in Poland, a post-socialist country that experienced significant changes in mobility patterns and spatial development following the socio-economic transformation of 1989. The study is based on a literature review and a qualitative analysis of opinions on rail transport, which support the theoretical considerations. The results showed that the analysed decision-making mechanism is shaped by ‘The Syndrome of Released Desire’ - a concept that reflect the increase in aspirations and unmet needs triggered by the socio-economic transformation in 1989. This syndrome manifests through the need for ‘autonomy’, ‘comfort’, and ‘prestige’ in terms of travel mode choices, as well as the need for a ‘quiet place’, a ‘peaceful locality’, and ‘green surroundings’ in terms of residential location choices.

Rights

Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.

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