Travel to Work Area
Encyclopedia
A Travel to Work Area or TTWA is a statistical tool used by UK Government agencies and local authorities, especially by the Department for Work and Pensions
and Job Centres, to indicate an area where the population would generally commute
to a larger town, city or conurbation
for the purposes of employment
.
, though as methods of calculation differ they cannot directly be compared with other specific measurements such as Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States.
TTWAs have no legal status. However, they give planners and geographer
s an alternate view of urban
life as their boundaries are tied not to arbitrary administrative limits but socio-economic ties. Having an idea of where people commute from for work is particularly useful for public transport
planning.
using census
data for commuting between wards
, based on the different locations of individuals' home and work addresses.
A Travel to Work Area is a collection of wards for which "of the resident economically active population, at least 75% actually work in the area, and also, that of everyone working in the area, at least 75% actually live in the area". According to this measure, there were 243 TTWAs within the United Kingdom in 2007.
The 243 TTWAs are:
s as one of the main units of comparison used by the State of the English Cities
report and database, commissioned and maintained by the Communities and Local Government department of the UK Government.
This has greatly increased the amount of information available about Travel to Work Areas, although the State of the Cities only publishes data for the 56 Travel to Work Areas based around Primary Urban Area
s in England. Travel to Work Areas in Scotland
and Wales
and those covering only rural areas are not included.
To increase the range of statistics available the State of the Cities also publishes data for Travel to Work Areas approximated to local authority boundaries. These areas can differ considerably from the more accurate ward
-based areas.
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
and Job Centres, to indicate an area where the population would generally commute
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
to a larger town, city or conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
for the purposes of employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
.
Significance
As a measure based on urban areas and their commuter hinterland they are a form of Metropolitan AreaMetropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
, though as methods of calculation differ they cannot directly be compared with other specific measurements such as Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States.
TTWAs have no legal status. However, they give planners and geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
s an alternate view of urban
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
life as their boundaries are tied not to arbitrary administrative limits but socio-economic ties. Having an idea of where people commute from for work is particularly useful for public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
planning.
Definition
Travel to Work Areas are defined by the Office for National StatisticsOffice for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
using census
Census in the United Kingdom
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with...
data for commuting between wards
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
, based on the different locations of individuals' home and work addresses.
A Travel to Work Area is a collection of wards for which "of the resident economically active population, at least 75% actually work in the area, and also, that of everyone working in the area, at least 75% actually live in the area". According to this measure, there were 243 TTWAs within the United Kingdom in 2007.
The 243 TTWAs are:
|
The State of the Cities
Travel to Work Areas were selected to approximate city regionCity region
The term city region has been in use since about 1950 by urbanists, economists and urban planners to mean a metropolitan area and hinterland which has a shared and formal administrative government...
s as one of the main units of comparison used by the State of the English Cities
State of the English Cities
The State of the English Cities is an on-going study of the social and economic performance of the major cities of England, sponsored by the Communities and Local Government department of the United Kingdom Government....
report and database, commissioned and maintained by the Communities and Local Government department of the UK Government.
This has greatly increased the amount of information available about Travel to Work Areas, although the State of the Cities only publishes data for the 56 Travel to Work Areas based around Primary Urban Area
Primary Urban Area
A Primary Urban Area is an area defined by the Department for Communities and Local Government in the United Kingdom as a statistical tool for analysing the major cities of England, originating as part of their State of the English Cities report and database.-Purpose and definition:The concept of...
s in England. Travel to Work Areas in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and those covering only rural areas are not included.
To increase the range of statistics available the State of the Cities also publishes data for Travel to Work Areas approximated to local authority boundaries. These areas can differ considerably from the more accurate ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
-based areas.
See also
- Metropolitan areaMetropolitan areaThe term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
, a more general concept of a travel to work area - Primary Urban AreaPrimary Urban AreaA Primary Urban Area is an area defined by the Department for Communities and Local Government in the United Kingdom as a statistical tool for analysing the major cities of England, originating as part of their State of the English Cities report and database.-Purpose and definition:The concept of...