The social dimensions of children's travel

The social dimension of children's lives is an essential part of growing up. A generation ago, researchers examined how transport influenced children's social lives in their communities. Those findings suggested that increased traffic diminished children's opportunities for social interactions. Since that time though, little research has considered this dimension of their lives. Most recent research on children and transport has focused on explaining modal choice for trips to school, or their independent mobility and relationships to physical activity. The research that has been conducted on the social dimension of children's travel has found that it helps children foster relationships with friends and adults, contributing to their social capital. Social capital in turn, along with good social environments in general, is linked to increased likelihoods of traveling by active modes and independent travel. Interaction with friends during a trip also improves satisfaction with trips and is linked to improved moods. This chapter will summarize relevant work on the social dimension of children's travel, discuss the potential to expand knowledge on the subject, and present results from a recent quantitative study examining the complex interaction of children's travel and their social interactions.