INVESTIGATING FACTORS INFLUENCING RESIDENTIAL LOCATION CHOICE USING PLS-SEM ANALYSIS: A CASE STUDY IN SEBERANG PERAI, PENANG, MALAYSIA

Individuals often select their residence based on the availability of land and housing on the market and by taking into consideration of various factors involved. This is known as residential location choice. The inconsistency in earlier studies regarding modelling residential location choice persists despite numerous attempts made from a multidisciplinary background. As a result, it is difficult to understand the factors influencing residential location choice. By using PLS-SEM, this study seeks to understand the factors influencing residential location choice. Four hundred eighty-four heads of household in Seberang Perai provided primary data for the study. SMART-PLS software version 3.0 was used to assist in the PLS-SEM analysis. The results showed that social relations, neighbourhood features, and housing quality are the significant factors influencing residential location choice in Seberang Perai. These results serve as a guide for future research that considers variables from the economic, geographical, and social perspectives when examining the factors that influence residential location choice. A model of residential location choice that considers social, geographical, and economic factors can assist in creating agile cities by enabling planners to design flexible, inclusive urban environments that adapt to changing needs and conditions.