Investigating multiple activity participation and time-use decisions by using a multivariate Kuhn-Tucker demand system model

Abstract

This paper investigates time allocation behavior in activity planning. Considering a 7-day planning period, the paper empirically investigates time allocation behavior with respect to non-skeletal activity types. Non-skeletal activities indicate all activities except work/school activities. Activities under consideration are classified into 15 generic types and in addition to these; the econometric method used in this paper allows consideration of all other undefined/unplanned activities as a ‘composite activity’ within the time-budget. The concept of activity utility is used to model the perception of individual activity types. Activity-type indicator variables are used to investigate inter-activity relationships in baseline preference and time allocation. CHASE survey data collected in Toronto are used to estimate the empirical model. All parameters of the model are considered to be distributed multivariate normal. Bayesian estimation technique is used to estimate the large number of parameters resulting from the multivariate distribution assumption of the parameters. The estimated model reveals considerable behavioral insight into the time allocation among different activity types.

Keywords:

• Multivariate
• Kuhn-Tucker model
• time allocation
• activity planning