Fuzziness of Travel-to-Work Areas

Travel-to-work areas (TTWAs) have been used widely by governmental agencies and academic institutions. However, their use has been criticized because the boundaries separating travel-to-work areas are imperfect in the sense that there are always commuting trips crossing them. This paper aims to investigate the fuzziness of travel-to-work areas by applying fuzzy set theory. The methodology of defining fuzzy travel-to-work areas is described. Indicators measuring size and the overlap of fuzzy travel-to-work areas are suggested. The cartographic representation of fuzzy travel-to-work areas is discussed. The last section proposes the advantages of fuzzy travel-to-work areas and some potential applications.