Psychological divergence between urban and suburban Chinese in relation to green commuting

We used the extended theory of planned behavior to explore the moderating effect of residential area on choice of travel mode and identified the source of divergence. Both urban and suburban groups held favorable expectations about the positive externality of green commuting. However, urban residents were more accustomed to green commuting than were suburban residents, and had greater willingness to maintain it, which led to a higher frequency of, and greater inclination to perform, green commuting among the former group. Moreover, reduced frequency of private car use by urban residents can be better transformed into green commuting. Structural equation modeling revealed that environmental concern had a similar impact on both urban and suburban residents, but that subjective norms had a greater influence on suburban than on urban residents. Our findings can be used by government officials to promote green commuting through environmental education and targeted policy making.