Dataset Information

Correlates of the Built Environment and Active Travel: Evidence from 20 US Metropolitan Areas.

ABSTRACT: Walking and bicycling are health-promoting and environmentally friendly alternatives to the automobile. Previous studies that explore correlates of active travel and the built environment are for a single metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and results often vary among MSAs.Our goal was to model the relationship between the built environment and active travel for 20 MSAs spanning the continental United States.We sourced and processed pedestrian and bicycle traffic counts for 20 U.S. MSAs (n=4,593 count locations), with 1-17 y of data available for each count location and the earliest and latest years of data collection being 1999 and 2016, respectively. Then, we tabulated land use, transport, and sociodemographic variables at 12 buffer sizes (100-3,000 m) for each count location. We employed stepwise linear regression to develop predictive models for morning and afternoon peak-period bicycle and pedestrian traffic volumes..Built environment features were significant predictors of active travel across all models. Areas with easy access to water and green space, high concentration of jobs, and high rates of active commuting were associated with higher bicycle and pedestrian volumes. Bicycle facilities (e.g., bike lanes, shared lane markings, off-street trails) were correlated with higher bicycle volumes. All models demonstrated reasonable goodness-of-fit for both bicyclists (adj-R2: 0.46-0.61) and pedestrians (adj-R2: 0.42-0.72). Cross-validation results showed that the afternoon peak-period models were more reliable than morning models.To our knowledge, this is the first study to model multi-city trends in bicycling and walking traffic volumes with the goal of developing generalized estimates of the impact of the built environment on active travel. Our models could be used for exposure assessment (e.g., crashes, air pollution) to inform design of health-promoting cities. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3389.

SUBMITTER: Le HTK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6108845 | biostudies-other | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Correlates of the Built Environment and Active Travel: Evidence from 20 US Metropolitan Areas.

Le Huyen T K HTK Buehler Ralph R Hankey Steve S

Environmental health perspectives 20180730 7

<h4>Background</h4>Walking and bicycling are health-promoting and environmentally friendly alternatives to the automobile. Previous studies that explore correlates of active travel and the built environment are for a single metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and results often vary among MSAs.<h4>Objectives</h4>Our goal was to model the relationship between the built environment and active travel for 20 MSAs spanning the continental United States.<h4>Methods</h4>We sourced and processed pedestri ...[more]

PMID: 30073954

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Project description:Investments in neighborhood built environments could increase physical activity and overall health. Disproportionate distribution of these changes in advantaged neighborhoods could inflate health disparities. Little information exists on where changes are occurring. This paper aims to 1) identify changes in the built environment in neighborhoods and 2) investigate associations between high levels of change and sociodemographic characteristics. Using Geographic Information Systems, neighborhood land-use, local destinations (for walking, social engagement, and physical activity), and sociodemographics were characterized in 2000 and 2010 for seven U.S. cities. Linear and change on change models estimated associations of built environment changes with baseline (2000) and change (2010-2000) in sociodemographics. Spatial patterns were assessed using Global Moran's I to measure overall clustering of change and Local Moran's I to identify statistically significant clusters of high increases surrounded by high increases (HH). Sociodemographic characteristics were compared between HH cluster and other tracts using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). We observed small land-use changes but increases in the destination types. Greater increases in destinations were associated with higher percentage non-Hispanic whites, percentage households with no vehicle, and median household income. Associations were present for both baseline sociodemographics and changes over time. Greater increases in destinations were associated with lower baseline percentage over 65 but higher increases in percentage over 65 between 2000 and 2010. Global Moran's indicated changes were spatially clustered. HH cluster tracts started with a higher percentage non-Hispanic whites and higher percentage of households without vehicles. Between 2000 and 2010, HH cluster tracts experienced increases in percent non-Hispanic white, greater increases in median household income, and larger decreases in percent of households without a vehicle. Changes in the built environment are occurring in neighborhoods across a diverse set of U.S. metropolitan areas, but are patterned such that they may lead to increased health disparities over time.

Dataset Information

Correlates of the Built Environment and Active Travel: Evidence from 20 US Metropolitan Areas.

Publications

Correlates of the Built Environment and Active Travel: Evidence from 20 US Metropolitan Areas.

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