The Influence of Urban Land-Use and Public Transport Facilities on Active Commuting in Wellington, New Zealand: Active Transport Forecasting Using the WILUTE Model

Abstract

Physical activity has numerous physical and mental health benefits, and active commuting (walking or cycling to work) can help meet physical activity recommendations. This study investigated socioeconomic differences in active commuting, and assessed the impact of urban land-use and public transport policies on active commuting in the Wellington region in New Zealand. We combined data from the New Zealand Household Travel Survey and GIS data on land-use and public transport facilities with the Wellington Integrated Land-Use, Transportation and Environment (WILUTE) model, and forecasted changes in active commuter trips associated with changes in the built environment. Results indicated high income individuals were more likely to commute actively than individuals on low income. Several land-use and transportation factors were associated with active commuting and results from the modelling showed a potential increase in active commuting following an increase in bus frequency and parking fees. In conclusion, regional level policies stimulating environmental factors that directly or indirectly affect active commuting may be a promising strategy to increase population level physical activity. Access to, and frequency of, public transport in the neighbourhood can act as a facilitator for a more active lifestyle among its residents without negatively affecting disadvantaged groups.

The Hidden Characteristics of Land-Use Mix Indices: An Overview and Validity Analysis Based on the Land Use in Melbourne, Australia

“…Gehrke [4] suggested that mixed land use, as a strategy, has a significant relationship with walking at the microlevel. Furthermore, other studies mentioned a positive association of active commuting, accessibility, and walkability through mixed land use [27][28][29]. In addition, the study by Heinen et al There are several directions for the quantitation of land-use mix.…”

Obesity‐related health impacts of active transport policies in Australia – a policy review and health impact modelling study

“…However, the distribution of commuting distance varies by geographical location; those living in inner areas of capital cities generally experience shorter commutes than those living in outer city areas, and those living in capital cities generally experience shorter commutes than those living in rural and remote regions. Evidence also suggests that persons in lower socioeconomic groups have longer commutes and may be less likely to commute actively 55 . An awareness of the potential for transport environments to contribute to a reduction in health inequities will therefore be crucial in designing interventions to promote AT across all social groups and to improve the health of both rural and urban populations 2 …”

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“…Over 60% of the instances were non-significant. Additionally, four instances were found to be negatively associated with transport physical activity [22,52,57,65]; of which one negative association examined car parking with transport physical activity [22]. The features of these destination-related attributes identified in the positive and negative associations were different.…”