abstract: 'This paper explores the relationship between car ownership and financial

  circumstances for people living in disadvantaged urban communities.

  Assumptions about cars signifying status and income are problematised by

  an examination of the characteristics of those who adopt cars. We

  consider the possibility that, despite low incomes and financial

  problems, cars may be a necessity for some urban dwellers. Patterns of

  car ownership and adoption are analysed using cross-sectional and

  longitudinal survey data collected from communities in Glasgow, between

  2006 and 2011, before, during and after the recession. Car ownership

  rates increased, as more people adopted a car than relinquished

  vehicles. The likelihood of household car adoption was influenced by

  changes in household size, increased financial difficulties in relation

  to housing costs, and where householders gained work. A small but

  growing proportion of households (up to 8.5\% by 2011) are deemed

  `forced car owners'' by virtue of owning a car despite also reporting

  financial difficulties: three-quarters of this group maintain a car

  despite financial problems whilst a quarter adopt a car despite

  financial problems. Findings suggest that poor households are reluctant

  to relinquish their cars to ease money problems when under financial

  stress and that, for some, acquiring a car may be seen as necessary to

  better their circumstances. In neither case can we see evidence that the

  sustainable transport agenda is reaching disadvantaged communities and

  there are concerns that regeneration strategies are failing to promote

  mobility and accessibility for poor communities via transport policies.'
affiliation: 'Curl, A (Corresponding Author), Univ Canterbury, Dept Geog, Private
  Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.

  Curl, Angela; Clark, Julie; Kearns, Ade, Univ Glasgow, Urban Studies, 25 Bute Gardens,
  Glasgow G12 8RS, Lanark, Scotland.'
author: Curl, Angela and Clark, Julie and Kearns, Ade
author-email: 'angela.curl@canterbury.ac.nz

  julie.clark@uws.ac.uk

  ade.kearns@glasgow.ac.uk'
author_list:
- family: Curl
  given: Angela
- family: Clark
  given: Julie
- family: Kearns
  given: Ade
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2017.01.002
eissn: 1879-310X
files: []
issn: 0967-070X
journal: TRANSPORT POLICY
keywords: 'Forced car ownership; Financial difficulties; Deprived communities;

  Employment; Transport policy; Regeneration'
keywords-plus: 'SOCIAL EXCLUSION; PUBLIC TRANSPORT; INCOME; TRAVEL; UK; DISADVANTAGE;

  PERSPECTIVES; EXPERIENCES; DEMAND; TIME'
language: English
month: JUL
note: 'International Workshop on Energy-Related Economic Stress at the

  Interface Between Transport Poverty, Fuel Poverty and Residential

  Location, Univ Leeds, Inst Transport Studies, Leeds, ENGLAND, MAY 20-21,

  2015'
number: SI
number-of-cited-references: '56'
orcid-numbers: 'Curl, Angela/0000-0002-8325-190X

  Clark, Julie/0000-0002-2954-8550'
pages: 61-71
papis_id: 38e8d5b5de7f3f7484d54d74349cda37
ref: Curl2018householdcar
researcherid-numbers: 'Curl, Angela/J-5879-2019

  '
times-cited: '46'
title: 'Household car adoption and financial distress in deprived urban communities:
  A case of forced car ownership?'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000430764900007
usage-count-last-180-days: '2'
usage-count-since-2013: '23'
volume: '65'
web-of-science-categories: Economics; Transportation
year: '2018'