Article
Transportation
Marie Geraldine Herrmann-Lunecke, Rodrigo Mora, Paloma Vejares
Summary: This study investigates the impact of the built environment on walking behaviors in Santiago, Chile, through self-reported experiences of local residents. Findings suggest that elements such as trees, wide sidewalks, and active uses facilitate walking and enhance wellbeing, while factors like traffic noise, motorized traffic, narrow sidewalks, and difficult crossings hinder walking, leading to stress, fear, and anger, especially among older adults and women. The study highlights the importance of creating a pedestrian-friendly built environment to promote walking.
TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Dayana Agudelo-Castaneda, Julian Arellana, Wendy B. Morgado-Gamero, Fabricio De Paoli, Luana Carla Portz
Summary: This study develops a model that links the built environment with air quality to measure the spatial gradient of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in urban areas of developing countries. The results show that areas with remaining green spaces, reduced traffic, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure have lower NO2 levels. However, the current design and conditions of the built environment lead to inequalities in air pollution exposure, with low-income residents experiencing higher NO2 levels compared to wealthier individuals. Therefore, urban planning for sustainable and equitable cities should focus on strategies to reduce NO2 concentrations, such as improving mobility options and promoting walking.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART D-TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Diego Malacarne, Evangelos Handakas, Oliver Robinson, Elisa Pineda, Marc Saez, Leda Chatzi, Daniela Fecht
Summary: This study evaluated the epidemiological evidence on the relationship between the built environment and childhood obesity, finding strong associations between traffic-related air pollution and built environment characteristics supportive of walking with childhood obesity. However, a lack of studies considering interactions between different built environment exposures and verifying the role and mechanism of important effect modifiers, such as age, was identified.
Article
Ecology
Mohammad Javad Koohsari, Tomoki Nakaya, Gavin R. McCormack, Ai Shibata, Kaori Ishii, Akitomo Yasunaga, Tomoya Hanibuchi, Koichiro Oka
Summary: This study examined the relationship between walkable built environments and social capital among adults in Japan, finding that traditional and novel walkable built environment metrics had different effects on social capital. Specifically, street connectivity and perceived population density were negatively associated with social capital scores.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Nicholas A. Howell, Gillian L. Booth
Summary: In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes worldwide. Researchers and policymakers have been focusing on promoting healthy lifestyles at a population level by studying the influence of the built environment on physical activity levels. This review examines the relationship between the built environment, physical activity, and obesity-related diseases and explores how other environmental factors interact with the built environment to affect metabolic health.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jiani Wu, Chunli Zhao, Chaoyang Li, Tao Wang, Lanjing Wang, Yi Zhang
Summary: This study found non-linear relationships between older adults' walking frequency and built environment characteristics, with population density, sidewalk density, bus stop density, land use mixture, and percentage of green space positively associated with walking trips among older adults. The findings contribute to effective policy-making for promoting active travel among older adults.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Bo-Sin Tang, Kenneth K. H. Wong, Kenneth S. S. Tang, Siu Wai Wong
Summary: Traditional buffer analysis and network distance analysis overestimate walking accessibility of private housing to open space in Hong Kong by about 2-8%. Approximately 15% of residential blocks cannot reach a nearby open space within the designated time frame, mainly affecting gated housing estates and low-rise housing.
ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING B-URBAN ANALYTICS AND CITY SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Fernando Fonseca, Paulo J. G. Ribeiro, Elisa Conticelli, Mona Jabbari, George Papageorgiou, Simona Tondelli, Rui A. R. Ramos
Summary: The paper provides a literature review on how built environment attributes influence walkability, emphasizing the importance of intersection density, residential density, and land use mix in walkability assessments. It also highlights the lesser focus on attributes related to streetscape design and security. The study reveals gaps and issues that should be analyzed in-depth in the future, providing insights for researchers and urban planners.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION
(2022)
Article
Geography
Weiye Xiao, Yehua Dennis Wei
Summary: This article examines the impacts of the built environment on walking and biking trip generation around transit stations through a study of SLCo, Utah. The results suggest that the threshold-based model can better capture the relationship between built environment factors and people's active travel behavior. Further analysis identifies the relative importance of different built environment factors and highlights the significance of urban amenity accessibility in improving walkability and bikability simultaneously around transit stations.
Article
Ecology
Mohammad Javad Koohsari, Akitomo Yasunaga, Gavin R. McCormack, Ai Shibata, Kaori Ishii, Tomoki Nakaya, Tomoya Hanibuchi, Yukari Nagai, Koichiro Oka
Summary: This study examined the associations between urban design attributes and depressive symptoms among middle-aged adults in Japan. The results showed that higher perceived access to public transport and total perceived walkability were associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms among women. Additionally, higher safety from traffic and crime were associated with lower odds of having mild depressive symptoms in women and men.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Gavin R. McCormack, Michelle Patterson, Levi Frehlich, Diane L. Lorenzetti
Summary: This systematic review examined the impact of the built environment on the effectiveness of interventions to promote physical activity. The results showed that approximately 70% of the studies found evidence of an association between the built environment and intervention-facilitated physical activity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Mohammad Javad Koohsari, Akitomo Yasunaga, Gavin R. McCormack, Ai Shibata, Kaori Ishii, Tomoki Nakaya, Tomoya Hanibuchi, Yukari Nagai, Koichiro Oka
Summary: This study examined the impact of built environment design on depressive symptoms in middle-aged adults in Japan. The results showed that improving perceptions of neighborhood walkability and enhancing access to public transport and safety from crime and traffic are important for improving depressive symptoms among middle-aged men and women. However, there is still a lack of empirical studies and evidence on this topic.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lawrence D. Frank, Binay Adhikari, Katherine R. White, Trevor Dummer, Jat Sandhu, Ellen Demlow, Yumian Hu, Andy Hong, Matilda Van den Bosch
Summary: The study found that walkable neighborhoods and areas with greater park availability were associated with lower rates of diabetes. Walkability and park availability had direct associations with physical activity, obesity, and diabetes. The results were similar in the independent cohort.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Economics
Zuoxian Gan, Min Yang, Qingcheng Zeng, Harry J. P. Timmermans
Summary: This study fills the gaps in the literature regarding the integration of active modes and public transit, focusing on the impact of perceived walkability/bikeability and built environment features on walking/bicycling distance and mode choice. The results show that perceived walkability/bikeability and built environment features are more strongly correlated with mode choice behavior rather than transfer distance. Furthermore, the distance and mode choice of walking/bicycling trips are closely associated with perceived walkability and bikeability as well as built environment features.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART A-POLICY AND PRACTICE
(2021)
Article
Geography
Yehua Dennis Wei, Weiye Xiao, Richard Medina, Guang Tian
Summary: This article examines the factors influencing walking behavior in Salt Lake City using GIS and statistical analysis. It finds that neighborhood environmental factors influence the origins and destinations of walking trips. Moreover, the study indicates that robbery events, street connectivity, and public parks are significant factors influencing walking behavior in urban areas.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bojing Liao, Pauline E. W. van den Berg, Pieter J. V. van Wesemael, Theo A. Arentze
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2020)
Article
Urban Studies
Bojing Liao, Pauline E. W. van den Berg, P. J. van Wesemael, Theo A. Arentze
Summary: This study used virtual reality technology to investigate how different groups perceive walkability and found that factors such as land use mix, connectivity, road size, open space, and green influence individuals' perception of walkability. Additionally, perceived walkability is mainly associated with feelings of comfort and security.
Article
Regional & Urban Planning
Pauline E. W. van den Berg, Bojing Liao, Steef Gorissen, P. J. van Wesemael, Theo A. Arentze
Summary: This study aims to provide insights into the relationship between neighborhood walkability and place attachment, as well as the mediating role of social interaction. The results show that perceived neighborhood walkability is a stronger predictor of place attachment than objective walkability, with perceived walkability having both a direct and indirect effect on place attachment through neighborhood-based social interaction. Objective walkability only has a direct positive effect on place attachment.
JOURNAL OF PLANNING EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bojing Liao, Yifan Xu, Xiang Li, Ji Li
Summary: This study examines the relationship between campus walkability and students' affective walking experiences, as well as the mediating role of walking attitude in this relationship. The results indicate that campus walkability is directly and indirectly (through walking attitude) associated with positive affective walking experiences. These findings highlight the importance of walkable campuses in promoting positive walking attitudes and emotions, which contribute to students' mental health and subjective wellbeing.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bojing Liao, Xiang Li
Summary: There is evidence that neighborhood characteristics influence individuals' walking experiences, but previous research lacks separate impacts examination. Also, there is insufficient evidence on distinct walking experiences for different sociodemographic backgrounds. Therefore, this study uses a conjoint experiment to examine how different groups perceive neighborhood characteristics based on their emotions. The results confirm the relationship between land use mix, connectivity, road size, open space, and greenery with positive walking experiences, but the level varies considerably. Open space and road width are crucial for a walkable neighborhood and individuals' subjective well-being.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Benshuo Wang, Li Dai, Bojing Liao
Summary: Cultural heritage is crucial for passing history to the present and future. Information communication technology (ICT) can play a significant role in broadcasting and inheriting past civilizations. However, most existing ICT platforms neglect people's preferences, resulting in unsatisfactory user experiences. This paper proposes a new multimedia platform that prioritizes people's preferences and utilizes 3D models and virtual reality (VR) to bring cultural heritage to life. The platform, demonstrated using the Strijp-S cultural heritage site in Eindhoven, provides a new approach to system architecture design and aims to increase public knowledge and awareness of cultural heritage for its sustainable preservation.
