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17 pages, 1034 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Walkability Policies in Developing Countries: What Do People Need and Prefer in Iran?

by Ali Qazimirsaeed, Hanie Khosravi, Mojtaba Rafieian, Hamid Mirzahossein and Carmen Forciniti

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10808; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710808 - 30 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2501

Examining the willingness to pay (WTP) in the implementation of walkability policies can indicate the needs and preferences of individuals. Consequently, better defined individual preferences lead to successful sustainable transportation plans. While there is an extensive literature discussing WTP in sustainable transportation, they [...] Read more.

Examining the willingness to pay (WTP) in the implementation of walkability policies can indicate the needs and preferences of individuals. Consequently, better defined individual preferences lead to successful sustainable transportation plans. While there is an extensive literature discussing WTP in sustainable transportation, they mostly focus on developed countries, and this issue has not been adequately studied for developing countries, especially the Middle East. This study aims to determine the preferences of transportation users in developing countries and their willingness in paying to implement sustainable transportation policies. To this aim, 384 surveys were conducted in Karaj city, Iran, using the contingent valuation method (CVM). The WTP and its contextual criteria (household’s cost, demography, and economic class) and walkability criteria (safety, accessibility, network design, and social) were examined using PLS-SEM with 1000 resamples through the SEMinR package in the R programming language. The results show that 46% of participants were willing to pay extra taxes to implement the walkability policies. Furthermore, the structural model indicates that safety, social, spatial, and accessibility are the most important factors, respectively, and predict WTP in a positive direction. In contrast, gender and cost predict WTP in a negative direction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tendencies and Strategies of Active Mobility to Promote Urban Sustainable Transportation Systems)

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15 pages, 1301 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Satisfaction with the Pedestrian Environment and Its Relationship to Neighborhood Satisfaction in Seoul, South Korea

by Sangwan Lee

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9343; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159343 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1344

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between the degree of satisfaction with the pedestrian environments in their neighborhoods and the degree of neighborhood satisfaction in Seoul, South Korea. This study employed proportional odds logistic regression and gradient boosting decision tree models, using the 2021 [...] Read more.

This study investigated the relationship between the degree of satisfaction with the pedestrian environments in their neighborhoods and the degree of neighborhood satisfaction in Seoul, South Korea. This study employed proportional odds logistic regression and gradient boosting decision tree models, using the 2021 Seoul Urban Policy Indicator Survey. The key findings are as follows. First, there was a significant and positive relationship between the two factors. Second, respondents’ satisfaction levels with pedestrian environments showed higher feature importance than other factors. Third, the partial dependence plots show non-linear relationships; specifically, when respondents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with pedestrian environments, the partial dependence on the dependent variable increased significantly. This study contributes to (1) finding the association between the two factors, (2) offering insights into how to improve residents’ satisfaction with their neighborhood through pedestrian environment satisfaction, and (3) unfolding what active mobility means to people. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tendencies and Strategies of Active Mobility to Promote Urban Sustainable Transportation Systems)

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14 pages, 7105 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influences of Urban Bikeway Design and Land Use on Bike Collision Severity: Evidence from Pohang in South Korea

by Juseung Lee and Ducksu Seo

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8397; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148397 - 08 Jul 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1937

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted mobility patterns, bicycle use and bikeway infrastructure have been spotlighted worldwide. Even before the pandemic, the Korean government expanded bike networks by enacting a national policy. However, issues with bikeway quality have grown significantly due to the [...] Read more.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted mobility patterns, bicycle use and bikeway infrastructure have been spotlighted worldwide. Even before the pandemic, the Korean government expanded bike networks by enacting a national policy. However, issues with bikeway quality have grown significantly due to the excessive installation of bike infrastructure without due consideration given to land use and road conditions. This study aims to investigate bike collision severity based on various kinds of bikeways and land use data from Pohang city, which has a remarkably expanded bikeway network. Bike collision data were analyzed using binary logistic regression. The results indicate that collision severity is associated with the ineffective separation of bikeways, walkway design and pavement materials on side paths, uncleared bike lanes, and land use of planned parks and open spaces. Policymakers can consider these factors to enhance the safety of bikeway networks. These findings highlight the need for bikeway policy improvements for well-designed and managed paved bikeways, particularly on the side paths and in park areas, which ensure pedestrian and cyclist safety. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tendencies and Strategies of Active Mobility to Promote Urban Sustainable Transportation Systems)

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13 pages, 6495 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Air Pollution and Public Bike-Sharing System Ridership in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals

by Jooho Park, Yasushi Honda, Sayaka Fujii and Satbyul Estella Kim

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3861; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073861 - 24 Mar 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2780

Abstract

A bicycle-sharing system (BSS) has been implemented in Seoul, South Korea to promote green transportation policy as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to mitigate climate change, reduce traffic jams, and promote physical activity. However, the concentration of air pollutants in Seoul often exceeds [...] Read more.

A bicycle-sharing system (BSS) has been implemented in Seoul, South Korea to promote green transportation policy as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to mitigate climate change, reduce traffic jams, and promote physical activity. However, the concentration of air pollutants in Seoul often exceeds the standards of the World Health Organization, thereby creating a conflict with SDG 3 (Health). Therefore, it is important to recognize the trade-offs between actions targeted at SDGs as they might offset each other. In this context, a primary concern is investigating how the behavior of BSS users regarding outdoor air pollution appears. This study explores the relationship between ambient air pollution and the behavior of BSS riders in Seoul. We conducted a time-series analysis of associations between particulate air pollution and participation in the BSS. We used generalized additive models, adjusted for mean temperature, humidity, rainfall, day of the week, long-term trends, and seasonality to construct an exposure–response relationship. We observed a nonlinear relationship between increasing air pollution and bicycle ridership. This study method can be used as a basis for similar analyses to investigate BSS policies in other cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tendencies and Strategies of Active Mobility to Promote Urban Sustainable Transportation Systems)

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17 pages, 1245 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Distance Intervals on Walking Likelihood in Different Trip Purposes

by Elżbieta Macioszek, Ali Karami, Iman Farzin, Mohammadhossein Abbasi, Amir Reza Mamdoohi and Cristiana Piccioni

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3406; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063406 - 14 Mar 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2503

Abstract

Increasing private car ownership and car dependency has led to a low share of walking as an active mode as well as congestion, air pollution, and health problems in developing countries. This paper aims to identify and compare the impacts of a selection [...] Read more.

Increasing private car ownership and car dependency has led to a low share of walking as an active mode as well as congestion, air pollution, and health problems in developing countries. This paper aims to identify and compare the impacts of a selection of socio-economic, travel-related, and built environment variables on walking likelihood and respondents’ sensitivity to the walking distance, both for discretionary and mandatory trips. The analysis drew its origin from 14,463 responses acquired through an extensive travel survey conducted in the city of Qazvin, Iran. The estimated binary logit coefficients show people’s heterogeneity in the walking behavior for discretionary and mandatory trips. The results report a higher likelihood of walking on mandatory trips at almost all distances than the discretionary ones. Furthermore, investigating individual heterogeneity in different trip distances reveals that people aged less than 14 are more likely to choose walking on mandatory trips longer than 2400 m. Besides, those aged 25–44 years old or above 65 have less tendency to choose walking on mandatory trips with distances of 2000–2400 m and 800–1200 m, respectively. These findings are almost different on discretionary trips; compared to other age groups, people aged 15–24 years are less likely to choose walking on discretionary trips with a distance of 800–1200 m. Moreover, in trip distances of 1200–1600 m, the elderlies have a greater tendency to choose walking compared to other age groups. Some implications for more sustainable mobility in human-oriented urban environments are also presented and critically discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tendencies and Strategies of Active Mobility to Promote Urban Sustainable Transportation Systems)

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12 pages, 3370 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Stated Preference Survey for Evaluating Young Pedestrians’ Preferences on Walkways

by Maria Grazia Bellizzi, Carmen Forciniti and Gabriella Mazzulla

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12434; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212434 - 11 Nov 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1988

Abstract

For promoting pedestrian mobility, the quality levels of pedestrian paths should be increased. Many researchers suggest methodologies for determining the pedestrian level of service. Among these, some studies consider both paths’ physical characteristics and users’ perception about the walkways. Investigating users’ perceptions represents [...] Read more.

For promoting pedestrian mobility, the quality levels of pedestrian paths should be increased. Many researchers suggest methodologies for determining the pedestrian level of service. Among these, some studies consider both paths’ physical characteristics and users’ perception about the walkways. Investigating users’ perceptions represents a good strategy for implementing interventions aimed at increasing the quality of service. The aim is recording pedestrians’ perceptions about the characteristics of the path and detecting the choices they would make in a hypothetical scenario. This work proposes the design of a Stated Preferences survey and the analysis of the preliminary results. A questionnaire was sent out to a sample of 240 pedestrians, prevalently students, about a walkway located in the University Campus of Rende (Italy). The collected data were analyzed by means of a discrete choice model for assessing the importance assigned by pedestrians to each aspect included in the analysis. The results showed that the environment can be considered as the most important aspect for young pedestrians, while the width of the path is not significant. The outcomes also highlighted the aspects it is necessary to change in order to make pedestrian paths increasingly attractive and to encourage users towards active mobility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tendencies and Strategies of Active Mobility to Promote Urban Sustainable Transportation Systems)

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20 pages, 4393 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating Walkability through a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Approach: A Lisbon Case Study

by Jônatas Augusto Manzolli, André Oliveira and Miguel de Castro Neto

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1450; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031450 - 30 Jan 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4088

Abstract

New strategies to improve the quality of urban pedestrian environments are becoming increasingly important in sustainable city planning. This trend has been driven by the advantages that active mobility provides in terms of health, social, and environmental aspects. Our work explores the idea [...] Read more.

New strategies to improve the quality of urban pedestrian environments are becoming increasingly important in sustainable city planning. This trend has been driven by the advantages that active mobility provides in terms of health, social, and environmental aspects. Our work explores the idea of walkability. This concept refers to the friendliness of the urban environment to pedestrian traffic. We propose a framework based on the multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology to rank streets in terms of walkability levels. The city of Lisbon (Portugal) is the location of the streets under examination. Findings confirmed the framework’s replicability and suggested the possibility of this strategy being used as a support tool for designing urban policies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tendencies and Strategies of Active Mobility to Promote Urban Sustainable Transportation Systems)

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24 pages, 5186 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Walkability Indicators in the Aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

by Bruno Jardim and Miguel de Castro Neto

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10933; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710933 - 01 Sep 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2440

Abstract

Walkability indicators are a pivotal method to evaluate the role of the built environment in people’s decisions regarding active mobility, contributing to help promote more sustainable and equitable regions. Currently, there is a lack of literature describing the trends and findings from recent [...] Read more.

Walkability indicators are a pivotal method to evaluate the role of the built environment in people’s decisions regarding active mobility, contributing to help promote more sustainable and equitable regions. Currently, there is a lack of literature describing the trends and findings from recent studies, and how research on this topic has responded to COVID-19. In this work, we apply the PRISMA methodology to perform a systematic literature review of studies that employed walkability indicators to uncover associations between walkability and different topics, such as physical activity, health and mobility, in the aftermath of the pandemic. Results show that the growth rate of studies in this period almost doubled compared to the three years prior to the outbreak. We explore the main subjects addressed in recent literature and found that most studies resorted to well-known indicators, predominantly to Walk Score^®, while fewer works developed and applied new indicators. General findings point to a positive association between walkability and physical activity, overall health and active mobility. Moreover, in recent works, walkability’s relationship with environmental metrics is not clear and there is a lack of studies linking walkability indicators to COVID-19. More than two years after the worldwide outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, our work provides an effective resource for researchers to understand recent trends in studies employing walkability indicators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tendencies and Strategies of Active Mobility to Promote Urban Sustainable Transportation Systems)

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