Neighborhood Design and Walking

Wells, Nancy M.; Yang, Yizhao

doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2008.01.019

Cited by 107 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…However, most of the existing research on active travel has been cross-sectional, and we need longitudinal study designs using time-series data to investigate causal relationships. Recently, a small but growing number of longitudinal studies has emerged to study the influence of the environment on walking 118 , between the change of environment and the change of walking 119–121 , and between residential relocation and walking 122 . Particularly, following their framework on how active travel is influenced by environmental change 12 , Ogilvie and his colleagues conducted several longitudinal empirical studies to test their framework 88,121,123 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A dynamic framework on travel mode choice focusing on utilitarian walking based on the integration of current knowledge

Yang

2016

Journal of Transport & Health

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Recently, research on utilitarian walking has gained momentum due to its benefits on both health and the environment. However, our overall understanding of how built and social environments affect travel mode choice (walking or not) is still limited, and most existing frameworks on travel mode choice lack dynamic processes. After a review of several mainstream theories and a number of frameworks, we propose an integrated framework. The basic constructs in the travel mode choice function are utilities, constraints, attitudes, and habits. With a hierarchical structure and heuristic rules, the travel mode choice function is modified by individual characteristics and travel characteristics. The framework explicitly presents several dynamic processes, including the perception process on the environment, attitude formation process, habit formation process, interactions among an individual’s own behaviors, interactions among travelers, feedback from travel to the built and social environments, and feedback from other behaviors to the built and social environments. For utilitarian walking, the framework may contribute to the study design, data collection, adoption of new research methods, and provide indications for policy interventions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A dynamic framework on travel mode choice focusing on utilitarian walking based on the integration of current knowledge

Yang

2016

Journal of Transport & Health

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“…Land use mix and net retail area ratio measures were calculated using land use, zoning data, shopping center location data and census data for the Adelaide Statistical Division, obtained from the South Australian Government Department for Transport and Urban Planning, and the 2001 Adelaide Retail Database [6]. Data required to calculate them (parcel-level land use and retail building footprint) are difficult to obtain, even in high income countries such as the U.S.A. [31, 32]. Full walkability was calculated using the following formula developed by Frank et al [5]:where “z ( variable )” indicates a standardized (z) score of the variable .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Walkability and walking for transport: characterizing the built environment using space syntax

Koohsari

Owen

Cerin

et al. 2016

Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act

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BackgroundNeighborhood walkability has been shown to be associated with walking behavior. However, the availability of geographical data necessary to construct it remains a limitation. Building on the concept of space syntax, we propose an alternative walkability index, space syntax walkability (SSW). This study examined associations of the full walkability index and SSW with walking for transport (WT).MethodsData were collected in 2003–2004 from 2544 adults living in 154 Census Collection Districts (CCD) in Adelaide, Australia. Participants reported past week WT frequency. Full walkability (consisting of net residential density, intersection density, land use mix, and net retail area ratio) and SSW (consisting of gross population density and a space syntax measure of street integration) were calculated for each CCD using geographic information systems and space syntax software. Generalized linear models with negative binomial variance and logarithmic link functions were employed to examine the associations of each walkability index with WT frequency, adjusting for socio-demographic variables.ResultsTwo walkability indices were closely correlated (ρ = 0.76, p < 0.01). The associations of full walkability and SSW with WT frequency were positive, with regression coefficients of 1.12 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.17) and 1.14 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.19), respectively.ConclusionsSSW employs readily-available geographic data, yet is comparable to full walkability in its association with WT. The concept and methods of space syntax provide a novel approach to further understanding how urban design influences walking behaviors.

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“…This research design has been used in several recent quasi-experimental studies that have measured neighborhood characteristics and health outcomes before and after residential relocation. 34-40 While the results have provided some evidence of a longitudinal association between the built environment and physical activity, walking, and BMI, these studies have often been limited by small samples of movers 35-36 or reliance on retrospective recall of behavior in the previous neighborhood environment. 34,37 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in walking, body mass index, and cardiometabolic risk factors following residential relocation: Longitudinal results from the CARDIA study

Braun

Rodrı́guez

Song

et al. 2016

Journal of Transport & Health

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Background While many studies have found the built environment to be associated with walking, most have used cross-sectional research designs and few have examined more distal cardiometabolic outcomes. This study contributes longitudinal evidence based on changes in walking, body mass index (BMI), and cardiometabolic risk following residential relocation. Methods We examined 1,079 participants in the CARDIA study who moved residential locations between 2000 and 2006 (ages 32–46 in 2000, 49% white/51% black, 55% female). We created a walkability index from measures of population density, street connectivity, and food and physical activity resources, measured at participants’ pre- and post-move residential locations. Outcomes measured before and after the move included walking, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, insulin resistance, triglycerides, cholesterol, atherogenic dyslipidemia, and C-reactive protein. Fixed effects (FE) models were used to estimate associations between within-person change in walkability and within-person change in each outcome. These estimates were compared to those from random effects (RE) models to assess the implications of unmeasured confounding. Results In FE models, a one-SD increase in walkability was associated with a 0.81 mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure [95% CI: (−1.55, −0.07)] and a 7.36 percent increase in C-reactive protein [95% CI: (0.60, 14.57)]. Although several significant associations were observed in the RE models, Hausman tests suggested that these estimates were biased for most outcomes. RE estimates were most commonly biased away from the null or in the opposite direction of effect as the FE estimates. Conclusions Greater walkability was associated with lower blood pressure and higher C-reactive protein in FE models, potentially reflecting competing health risks and benefits in dense, walkable environments. RE models tended to overstate or otherwise misrepresent the relationship between walkability and health. Approaches that base estimates on variation between individuals may be subject to bias from unmeasured confounding, such as residential self-selection.

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Neighborhood Design and Walking

Cited by 107 publications

References 21 publications

A dynamic framework on travel mode choice focusing on utilitarian walking based on the integration of current knowledge

A dynamic framework on travel mode choice focusing on utilitarian walking based on the integration of current knowledge

Walkability and walking for transport: characterizing the built environment using space syntax

Changes in walking, body mass index, and cardiometabolic risk factors following residential relocation: Longitudinal results from the CARDIA study

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