School Walk Zone: Identifying Environments That Foster Walking and Biking to School
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This paper shows that children walk more in neighborhoods with mature trees. But the result and relationship with mature trees and children can't be correlative. Because the large trees have been preserved in the first place because the environmental maintenance method itself is highly safe, and rather than the influence of the trees, it may be that the environment, which is basically safe, has a strong impact.
Studies of this kind often refer to studies of chocolate. There is a fact that "citizens who eat high-end chocolate tend to live longer and healthier", but this is not due to the nutritional effects of high-end chocolate, but to the conditions that the standard of living is high enough to eat high-end chocolate and the medical expenses are sufficiently covered. is fundamentally influential.
The results of this study also have something in common with this pseudo-correlation.
Please reconsider this point.
Author Response
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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
The authors analyzed the environmental factors that may foster the use of urban streets by children to go to school.
- section 1.3. Over the parent concerns and distance, there is also another factor that negatively impacts children’s commute mode choice to school: their safety. Indeed, a road crash is considered the first cause of death for children while pedestrians and cyclists are considered among the most vulnerable road users. The overrepresentation of pedestrian crashes and their severity in urban areas have been also discussed in previous studies (i.e., https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215471). This aspect should be mentioned among the factors influencing walking and biking to school.
- The discussion and conclusion section should be expanded. The comparison with the existing literature is poor.
- What did the authors suggest to improve walking and cycling by children? As reckoned by the authors, there is an even more urgent need to reconsider some aspects of a street’s design to harmonize the sustainable and health advantages of walking and cycling with the transportation system and land use. Please give strength to this aspect which is also in line with goal 11.2 of the 2030 UN Agenda. The authors may draw inspiration from https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013142, https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals.
Author Response
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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
The authors addressed the topic under the title "School Walk Zone: Identifying environments that foster walking and biking to school". This is a very important topic with many aspects and requires a multidisciplinary approach. I would like to commend the authors for choosing the topic and conducting the research. I suggest minor revisions, before publishing the paper.
I really like the concept of the work. However, I would like you to add the latest references in the introduction and cover child/youth road safety in one sentence. As a little help, I suggest the following references:
10.1007/s13312-022-2481-x
10.3390/systems10050191
10.1080/15389588.2019.1694666
I have to praise the methodology of the paper and the way of presenting the results.
Please separate the discussion and conclusion sessions into two sessions.
I would like you to make practical recommendations based on the results obtained.
Small complaint:
Tables and figures are displayed outside the margins
In part of the sentence „Gender (0: Female, 1: Male)“, I don't think it is necessary to enter encryption in this form.
Author Response
- Please see the attachment. Thank you!
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
The resubmitted manuscript has been appropriately edited!
In particular, detailed supplementary explanations are provided for environmental hardware issues.
Reviewer 2 Report
The paper is ready for publication