Migration, urban growth and commuting distance in Toronto's commuter shed

This paper examines the relationship between migration, residential location and commute distance within Toronto's commuter shed. The study utilises data from the master file of the 2006 Canadian Census, allowing migrants to be disaggregated by duration of residence. Multiple regressions indicate that living in the most accessible rural areas and being a recent migrant are significantly associated with longer commutes. Furthermore, findings demonstrate that the commute distance of very recent migrants (those who migrated in the year immediately prior to the census) have the longest commute distances. As residential duration increases, commute distance decreases.