Commuting in Europe:

This thesis documents a search for influential determinants that relate to commuting streams and which might help to predict future commuting streams. It tries to add to the existing empirical work on commuting in a special way by estimating a dynamic Bårdsen error correction model using regional panel data (1999 – 2012) on the entire EU. Mainly education shows to be consistent estimator in this macro setting and reveals a significant and positive relationship with commuting outflows in both the short and long term. To a lesser extend motorisation rates possess this same consistency, but mainly on the short term. Income was expected to reveal a positive relationship on commuting, but failed to do so and did not provide significant estimates. Despite high expectations from a land use diversity index, it is not being able to explain intra-regional differences. After controlling for the choice of correct variables via a micro analysis of the same regions, the usefulness of using macro data seems to be lower compared to lower scale, and especially micro-, data.