Influence of the built environment on outdoor space fitness vitality and its heterogeneity:A case study of the Wuhan urban area

Abstract

Exploring the mechanism of impact of the built environment on fitness vitality in urban outdoor spaces is of great significance for promoting national fitness. Taking the Wuhan urban area as an example, this study investigated the intensity of fitness vitality in outdoor spaces based on Keep fitness trajectory data. The hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) models were employed to analyze the influence of the built environment on fitness vitality and its spatial variations. The results reveal the following: 1) Significant differences exist in fitness vitality among different functional areas.Green-dominated spaces exhibit the highest fitness vitality, with density of sports facilities and water area coefficient playing a more pronounced role in promoting fitness in such areas. Residential-dominated spaces also demonstrate considerable fitness vitality, with more prominent positive effects from street density and floor area ratio. In contrast, industrial-dominated spaces exhibit the weakest fitness vitality, while the degree of point of interest (POI) mixture and land prices show significant positive effects in such areas. 2) There are substantial disparities in fitness vitality among different locations, generally exhibiting a core-periphery structure with evident clustering characteristics. Moreover, the influences of POI mixture, road density, building density, and green space ratio vary significantly across different locations. The research findings demonstrate the multifaceted impact of the urban built environment on outdoor space fitness vitality and provide valuable planning recommendations for optimizing city functionality and form to create fitness-friendly environments.