Impacts of Micro-Scale Built Environment Features on Tourists’ Walking Behaviors in Historic Streets: Insights from Wudaoying Hutong, China

Abstract

The impact of built environment features on tourists’ walking behaviors has received growing attention. Although many researchers have observed the effects of micro-scale factors, the impact of culture-related factors on walking behaviors has been frequently overlooked. Therefore, it is vital to synthesize those micro-scale variables to develop a more holistic picture, and incorporating a cultural perspective is an imperative for the preservation and vitality enhancement of historic streets. In our study, a micro-scale built environment (MiBE) variable system was constructed to capture the features of historic streets, and 109 visitors were tracked in Wudaoying Hutong to record their walking-stopping behaviors. The results revealed four primary components affecting walking-stopping behaviors, among which transparency was the most influential factor, followed by the transitional space between streets and buildings, contributing to 49.8% and 21.6%, respectively. Notably, the non-negligible impact of two culture-related factors, including the contrast between Chinese and Western styles and traditional Chinese features, was also revealed, contributing to 28.6% of the total observed activities. We further compared four different types of micro-scale factors of the built environment and the corresponding walking-stopping behaviors, providing both scientific and theoretical reflections for preserving and renewing historic streets.

A Study on Identifying the Spatial Characteristic Factors of Traditional Streets Based on Visitor Perception: Yuanjia Village, Shaanxi Province

“…The facility elements such as landscape water systems, sunshades, and special processing tools had a significant impact on the perception of distinctiveness. This emphasizes the importance of these elements more than previous studies [36,65].…”

Research on Optimization Strategy of Commercial Street Spatial Vitality Based on Pedestrian Trajectories

“…In commercial pedestrian streets, particular emphasis is placed on how the functional attributes of the street, spatial form, and facilities affect micro-individual activities [9,21]. Drawing from the literature, this study identifies key factors that significantly affect spatial vitality in the micro-spaces of commercial streets, such as store density [22], store types [23], ground floor interface permeability [24], pedestrian width [25], the number of public tables and chairs [26], and billboard area [27]. Leveraging established research methods, scholars continue to investigate the influence of street elements on spatial vitality.…”

“…(III) Bottom interface permeability (BP) Good ground floor interface permeability [24] enhances customer flow between the underground and ground levels. This facilitates increased pedestrian traffic, which in turn enhances store visibility and customer footfall, contributing to a vibrant and thriving business environment on the pedestrian street.…”

Spatial Form Cognition of Historical Streets in Hongcun Village through a Space Syntax Approach

“…Social Interaction and Behavior. Xu et al used the micro-scale built environment (MiBE) variable system to capture the characteristics of historical streets, and recorded the walking and stopping behavior of 109 tourists in Wudaoying Hutong, and found the influence of cultural related factors on tourists' walking behavior [37]. Mundher et al used photo surveys, Likert scales, and heat map analysis techniques to assess the visual quality of historical streetscapes and identify elements that might affect them.…”