The role of urban transformation on inter-suburban commuting: evidence from Jakarta metropolitan area, Indonesia

Post-suburbanization, shifting the focus of urban spatial development to its periphery, is becoming a global policy concern. Changing urban form affects travel behavior, where the traditional suburb-to-CBD commuting pattern has been contested by inter-suburban commuting. This empirical study investigates how employment decentralization and its associated heterogeneous suburban amenities have influenced commuting dynamics between suburbs in a developing country. Using the case of the Jakarta Metropolitan Area (JMA), Indonesia, spatial panel regression is applied to model inter-suburban commuting between 2008 and 2015. The results indicate that peripheral employment expansion due to industrial decentralization is followed by a significant increase in inter-suburban commuting. The mono-functional industrial subcenter has attracted more commuters from other suburbs. Yet, it also pushed some residents to commute away for jobs in service firms. The study has added a better understanding of urban form-travel behavior relationships that have seldom been researched from the Global South perspective.

Automated summary

This empirical study investigates how employment decentralization and its associated heterogeneous suburban amenities have influenced commuting dynamics between suburbs in a developing country. The results indicate that peripheral employment expansion due to industrial decentralization is followed by a significant increase in inter-suburban commuting.