Leaving highly car-dependent areas

International audienceIn France, and particularly in the Paris Region, rising petrol prices and deteriorating economic conditions are impacting on household budgets, especially in suburban areas where travel is highly car-dependent (Dupuy, 1999; Newman and Kenworthy, 1989). However, many low-income households tend to work and live in these areas because of the deconcentration of low-skilled jobs (Berger, 2004; Massot and Roy, 2004) and the structure and supply nature of the housing market. Housing costs in these areas are lower and the supply abundant. However, the large social housing stock in city centres is sometimes seen as unattractive, either because of the nature of certain areas or because demand greatly exceeds supply