Commuting in Almaty agglomeration: an analysis of pilot survey results

Commuting is a process that occurs frequently, usually in bigger cities and agglomerations. People living in the periphery tend to travel to work that is located in the center of agglomeration. The choice to commute can vary among the population, and that is explained by internal and external factors such as the economic and financial situation of people, labor market, etc. Even though a routine activity is a central concept of commuting, it takes place in different forms and ways and is impacted by various sociodemographic, economic, and spatial aspects. Hence, it is these social and economic changes in commuting tendencies, characters, and behaviors that this study aims to classify, analyze, and comprehend. Almaty is one of the most populated cities in Kazakhstan. Due to the urbanization processes and urban development, the city captures new territories and becomes an agglomeration. This leads to increased daily human mobility. People living in the periphery of the agglomeration, but working in downtown, travel to their workplace. Therefore, they conduct commuting. Studying commuting is important for the city’s development. The purpose of this article is to identify the characteristics of pendulum migration based on the analysis of the results of a pilot survey conducted in the Almaty region. The methods of descriptive statistics are used for the analysis of the survey results.

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