Marcus Butler
20 July 2015: The daily school run is a stress for many Australian families, but a University of Canberra researcher wants to help by finding out what pressures parents face and how their transport decisions are affected by their lifestyle.
Assistant professor of urban and regional planning Hitomi Nakanishi is investigating the relationship between Australians' travel preferences for getting children to and from school, after-school care and weekend activities and our choices in employment, school location, time constraints and travel options.
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UC Researchers are examining what pressures Australians families are facing that result in far more children getting to and from school by car than other transport options.
Dr Nakanishi hopes the research will improve our understanding of the complex factors that families face in getting their children to school and hopefully may drive improvements to sustainability, employment policies and urban planning to help make the trip easier for parents.
"What we've learned so far shows balancing work arrangements and the needs of children of different ages is often complicated by restrictive working hours, children's extra-curricular activities, and where their childcare or school is located," Dr Nakanishi said.
Dr Nakanishi said a greater understanding of what appears to be a high-pressure time in a family's daily cycle could also have flow-on implications in health and nutrition, education and workplace planning for employers.
"I'd like to see if there are ways we can suggest new alternatives in urban planning or flexible employment options to help relieve some of the pressure on parents during a very busy time of the day," she said.
Dr Nakanishi got inspiration for the research from when she came to Australia from Japan, saying she noticed an immediate difference in the activity on our roads around schools and it seemed to be all about getting the kids to and from the school gate.
"In Japan, 98 per cent of children above seven years old either walk or cycle to school and occasionally take public transport."
"I was surprised to see the amount of traffic around Australian schools in the mornings and afternoons, so I was interested in discovering why parents here seem to rely on driving to get their children to school and other activities," Dr Nakanishi said.
The researchers have interviewed families in Canberra and are recruiting more participants in Sydney and Melbourne to explore their lifestyles, work and transport needs. People with children in childcare, pre-school or school education from any family structure are welcome to participate by contacting hitomi.nakanishi@canberra.edu.au
The research is a collaborative effort with University of Canberra colleagues, professor of economics Anne Daly and master of urban and regional planning student Amanda Sturgeon.
