Workplace relocation from suburb to city center: A case study of Rome, Italy

As metropolitan areas are generally characterized by decentralized jobs because of a car-based living, in this paper we focus on the feasibility of a “reverse” workplace relocation. The case study of a firm relocation from Rome’s suburbs to the historic city centre is presented. The new location, where the employees will have to move, is in a restricted traffic zone. A behavioural-based method was developed to forecast the future mode split of the employees of the firm being relocated. Next, the model’s estimates were compared with the results from a focus group interview. This approach is expected to provide reliable estimates of the mode choice, as it combines the standard discrete choice modelling for the mid-term forecast with the results from a focus group interview for the short-term forecast. The results from the discrete choice model overestimated the choice of public transport, whereas from the focus group interview it emerged that park & ride is expected to be the most chosen mode in the short-term. Finally, this case study suggests that a workplace relocation from the suburbs to the center could encourage the employees to lessen car-dependent habits.