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Published on: February 8, 2019
Built environment correlates of walking: a review
Brian E Saelens1, Susan L Handy
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA. bsaelens@u.washington.edu
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|July 17, 2008
Summary
Urban planning can promote walking. Key built environment factors like density and mixed land use strongly correlate with transportation walking, guiding future policy changes.
Area of Science:
- Urban Planning and Public Health
- Environmental Science and Public Policy
Background:
- Growing research links the built environment to physical activity levels.
- Understanding specific urban design elements that encourage walking is crucial for practitioners.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing evidence on the relationship between the built environment and walking.
- To identify key built environment correlates of walking for transportation and recreation.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of 13 reviews (2002-2006) and 29 original studies (2005-2006).
- Summarized findings based on built environment characteristics and walking type (transportation vs. recreational).
Main Results:
- Consistent positive associations found between transportation walking and density, proximity to destinations, and land use mix.
- Evidence for route connectivity, green spaces, and safety was mixed; recreational walking results were less conclusive.
Conclusions:
- Recent studies reinforce earlier findings on built environment correlates of walking.
- Sufficient evidence exists to inform policy changes aimed at promoting walking, despite the need for more prospective studies.
