# A Lifestyle-Based Perspective on the Mobility Choices and Preferences of Urban Travelers
## 3 Materials and Methods
### Questionnaire and Sample  
This study was based on an online survey conducted in the Metropolitan Area of Thessaloniki (MAT) during July-August 2023. The MAT has a population of approximately 0.9 million and comprises 11 municipalities, seven of which belong to Thessaloniki's urban area, while the remainder cover suburban and rural areas (Figure 1). Currently, the public transport system of MAT consists exclusively of buses. However, two metro lines are expected to be operational by the end of 2024, serving the two most dense municipalities of MAT: Thessaloniki and Kalamaria. The survey was conducted using the EU survey tool ([[https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/home/welcome](https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/home/welcome)]([https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/home/welcome](https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/home/welcome)), accessed on 20 September 2023) and ensured participant anonymity. A random sampling method was applied. The questionnaire was developed based on the review of previous research investigating the impact of lifestyles on travel behavior, through the consideration of attitudinal and psychological variables, including factors that express moral norms, environmental attitudes, normative beliefs and habits [11; 15; 16; 17; 18; 22; 23; 24]. It consisted of four sections:  
1. The first section collected information regarding socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the respondents (gender, age, job status, access to transport modes, level of education, monthly budget, categories of expenses, and place of residence and work). 2. The second section included questions about lifestyle (such as regular exercise and dietary preferences), as well as general attitudes toward recycling, energy saving, social distancing, adaptation to social developments, trust in (social) media and the influence of others' opinions. It also explored how transport mode choices reflect one's social status. Information on the number and type of electronic devices owned was also collected as well as the number and type of one's regular e-activities (i.e.,  
Figure 1: The geographical reference of the respondent’s place of residence: division by municipality (source: authors’ own elaboration). electronic bank transactions, emailing, use of social media, online video gaming, watching online news, e-shopping). * 3. The third section collected information about the most frequently used mode for five trip purposes: work, shopping, leisure, education and personal obligations (the latter including dropping off or picking up the children from school). It also collected information about the primary reasons for mode choice, such as comfort, time, cost, environmental concerns, safety, or lack of alternative. Additionally, this section also investigated the preferred mode for each trip purpose if it differed from the one currently used. * 4. Finally, the fourth section investigated respondents' willingness to adjust the location and timing of their necessary activities (i.e., work) and desirable activities (i.e., leisure) to accommodate a preferred mode of transport. This section also investigated attitudes toward micromobility (e.g., use of scooters and bicycles) and driverless public transport systems. The online questionnaire received responses from 414 inhabitants of the Metropolitan Area of Thessaloniki. After data cleaning through logical tests, 399 of the completed questionnaires were retained (96% of the initial sample). The sample size was adequate to make reliable inferences about the broader population, considering a 95% confidence level with a \(\pm\)5% margin of error, which required a minimum of 384 responses based on the population of the Metropolitan Area of Thessaloniki. As the questionnaire was primarily disseminated through social media, the response rate is unknown. The majority of respondents (87%) reside in Thessaloniki's urban area, while 126 (31%) work in the same municipality as their residence.