Estiri, Hossein; Krause, Andy; Heris, Mehdi P. (2015). Phasic Metropolitan Settlers: A Phase-Based Model for the Distribution of Households in US Metropolitan Regions. Urban Geography, 36(5), 777 – 794.
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Abstract
In this article, we develop a model for explaining spatial patterns in the distribution of households across metropolitan regions in the United States. First, we use housing consumption and residential mobility theories to construct a hypothetical probability distribution function for the consumption of housing services across three phases of household life span. We then hypothesize a second probability distribution function for the offering of housing services based on the distance from city center(s) at the metropolitan scale. Intersecting the two hypothetical probability functions, we develop a phase-based model for the distribution of households in US metropolitan regions. We argue that phase one households (young adults) are more likely to reside in central city locations, whereas phase two and three households are more likely to select suburban locations, due to their respective housing consumption behaviors. We provide empirical validation of our theoretical model with the data from the 2010 US Census for 35 large metropolitan regions.
Keywords
Residential-mobility; Life-course; Housing Consumption; Family; Satisfaction; Migration; Geography; Context; Age; Distribution Patterns; Us Metropolitan Regions; Household
Shen, Qing; Chen, Peng; Pan, Haixiao. (2016). Factors Affecting Car Ownership and Mode Choice in Rail Transit-Supported Suburbs of a Large Chinese City. Transportation Research Part A: Policy & Practice, 94, 31 – 44.
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Abstract
As Chinese cities continue to grow rapidly and their newly developed suburbs continue to accommodate most of the enormous population increase, rail transit is seen as the key to counter automobile dependence. This paper examines the effects of rail transit-supported urban expansion using travel survey data collected from residents in four Shanghai suburban neighborhoods, including three located near metro stations. Estimated binary logit model of car ownership and nested logit model of commuting mode choice reveal that: (1) proximity to metro stations has a significant positive association with the choice of rail transit as primary commuting mode, but its association with car ownership is insignificant; (2) income, job status, and transportation subsidy are all positively associated with the probabilities of owning car and driving it to work; (3) higher population density in work location relates positively to the likelihood of commuting by the metro, but does not show a significant relationship with car ownership; (4) longer commuting distance is strongly associated with higher probabilities of riding the metro, rather than driving, to work; (5) considerations of money, time, comfort, and safety appear to exert measurable influences on car ownership and mode choice in the expected directions, and the intention to ride the metro for commuting is reflected in its actual use as primary mode for journey to work. These results strongly suggest that rail transit-supported urban expansion can produce important positive outcomes, and that this strategic approach can be effectively facilitated by transportation policies and land use plans, as well as complemented by timely provision of high quality rail transit service to suburban residents. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Railroads; Public Transit; Choice Of Transportation; Automobile Ownership; Transportation; Suburbanization; China; Automobile Dependence; Large Chinese Cities; Rail Transit; Shanghai; Urban Expansion; Built Environment; Travel Behavior; Self-selection; Impact; Areas
Stewart, Orion T.; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Littman, Alyson J.; Seto, Edmund; Saelens, Brian E. (2018). Why Neighborhood Park Proximity Is Not Associated with Total Physical Activity. Health & Place, 52, 163 – 169.
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Abstract
This study explored how parks within the home neighborhood contribute to total physical activity (PA) by isolating park-related PA. Seattle-area adults (n = 634) were observed using time-matched accelerometer, Global Positioning System (GPS), and travel diary instruments. Of the average 42.3 min of daily total PA, only 11% was related to parks. Both home neighborhood park count and area were associated with park-based PA, but not with PA that occurred elsewhere, which comprised 89% of total PA. This study demonstrates clear benefits of neighborhood parks for contributing to park-based PA while helping explain why proximity to parks is rarely associated with overall PA.
Keywords
Physical Activity; Parks; Urban Planning; Environmental Health; Global Positioning System; Built Environment; Green Space; Recreation; Social Determinants Of Health; Health Research; Accelerometer Data; Self-selection; United-states; Public Parks; Older Women; Walking; Adults; Facilities
Buszkiewicz, James; Rose, Chelsea; Gupta, Shilpi; Ko, Linda K.; Mou, Jin; Moudon, Anne, V; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Cook, Andrea; Aggarwal, Anju; Drewnowski, Adam. (2020). A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Physical Activity and Weight Misreporting in Diverse Populations: The Seattle Obesity Study III. Obesity Science & Practice, 6(6), 615 – 627.
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Abstract
Background: In-person assessments of physical activity (PA) and body weight can be burdensome for participants and cost prohibitive for researchers. This study examined self-reported PA and weight accuracy and identified patterns of misreporting in a diverse sample. Methods: King, Pierce and Yakima county residents, aged 21-59 years (n= 728), self-reported their moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and weight, in kilograms. Self-reports were compared with minutes of bout-level MVPA, from 3 days of accelerometer data, and measured weights. Regression models examined characteristics associated with underreporting and overreporting of MVPA and weight, the potential bias introduced using each measure and the relation between perceived and measured PA and weight. Results: MVPA underreporting was higher among males and college educated participants; however, there was no differential MVPA overreporting. Weight underreporting was higher among males, those age 40-49 years and persons with obesity. Weight overreporting was higher among Hispanic participants and those reporting stress, unhappiness and fair or poor health. The estimated PA-obesity relation was similar using measured and self-reported PA but not self-reported weight. Perceived PA and weight predicted measured values. Conclusion: Self-reported PA and weight may be useful should objective measurement be infeasible; however, though population-specific adjustment for differential reporting should be considered.
Keywords
Self-reported Weight; Sedentary Behavior; Validation; Accuracy; Height; Adults; Health Disparity; Obesity; Physical Activity; Self-reported Outcomes
Rowe, Daniel H.; Bae, Christine; Shen, Qing. (2011). Evaluating the Impact of Transit Service on Parking Demand and Requirements. Transportation Research Record, 2245, 56 – 62.
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Abstract
Many jurisdictions in the United States typically set minimum parking requirements for residential multifamily developments based on old data that were collected in suburban settings with little transit availability. Such parking requirements applied to urban settings with adequate transit service often result in an oversupply of parking, which in turn creates a barrier to smart growth. Not only does the oversupply of parking encourage automobile use and reduce housing affordability, but it also increases development costs, consumes land and natural resources, and increases associated air and water pollution. This research examines the relationship of parking demand and transit service in First Hill Capitol Hill (FHCH) and Redmond, two urban centers in King County, Washington. An alternative method to collect parking demand data is explored. The results show a strong relationship between transit service and parking demand. The FHCH urban center, which abuts downtown Seattle, exhibited higher levels of transit service and lower parking demand. Parking demand in FHCH was observed to be 0.52 parking space per dwelling unit, which was about 50% less than parking demand observed in Redmond, a growing mixed-use suburban center, and 50% less than data reported by the Institute of Transportation Engineers. After a review of the parking policies of each urban center, opportunities to improve regulations including adjusting minimum parking requirements and allowing for reductions in required parking when developers implement solutions to reduce demand for parking were identified.
Berke, Ethan M.; Vernez-Moudon, Anne. (2014). Built Environment Change: A Framework to Support Health-Enhancing Behaviour through Environmental Policy and Health Research. Journal Of Epidemiology And Community Health, 68(6), 586 – 590.
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Abstract
As research examining the effect of the built environment on health accelerates, it is critical for health and planning researchers to conduct studies and make recommendations in the context of a robust theoretical framework. We propose a framework for built environment change (BEC) related to improving health. BEC consists of elements of the built environment, how people are exposed to and interact with them perceptually and functionally, and how this exposure may affect health-related behaviours. Integrated into this framework are the legal and regulatory mechanisms and instruments that are commonly used to effect change in the built environment. This framework would be applicable to medical research as well as to issues of policy and community planning.
Keywords
Geographic Information-systems; Physical-activity; Obesity; Place; Associations; Walkability; Risk; Care
Huang, R.; Moudon, A. V.; Cook, A. J.; Drewnowski, A. (2015). The Spatial Clustering of Obesity: Does the Built Environment Matter? Journal Of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, 28(6), 604 – 612.
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Abstract
BackgroundObesity rates in the USA show distinct geographical patterns. The present study used spatial cluster detection methods and individual-level data to locate obesity clusters and to analyse them in relation to the neighbourhood built environment. MethodsThe 2008-2009 Seattle Obesity Study provided data on the self-reported height, weight, and sociodemographic characteristics of 1602 King County adults. Home addresses were geocoded. Clusters of high or low body mass index were identified using Anselin's Local Moran's I and a spatial scan statistic with regression models that searched for unmeasured neighbourhood-level factors from residuals, adjusting for measured individual-level covariates. Spatially continuous values of objectively measured features of the local neighbourhood built environment (SmartMaps) were constructed for seven variables obtained from tax rolls and commercial databases. ResultsBoth the Local Moran's I and a spatial scan statistic identified similar spatial concentrations of obesity. High and low obesity clusters were attenuated after adjusting for age, gender, race, education and income, and they disappeared once neighbourhood residential property values and residential density were included in the model. ConclusionsUsing individual-level data to detect obesity clusters with two cluster detection methods, the present study showed that the spatial concentration of obesity was wholly explained by neighbourhood composition and socioeconomic characteristics. These characteristics may serve to more precisely locate obesity prevention and intervention programmes.
Keywords
Real Property; Ecology; Age Distribution; Anthropometry; Black People; Cluster Analysis (statistics); Communities; Computer Software; Epidemiological Research; Geographic Information Systems; Hispanic Americans; Mathematics; Obesity; Population Geography; Probability Theory; Race; Regression Analysis; Research Funding; Restaurants; Statistical Sampling; Self-evaluation; Sex Distribution; Shopping; Surveys; Telephones; Transportation; White People; Socioeconomic Factors; Body Mass Index; Data Analysis Software; Medical Coding; Statistical Models; Descriptive Statistics; Odds Ratio; Economics; Washington (state); Built Environment; Local Moran's I; Spatial Scan Statistic; Body-mass Index; Physical-activity; United-states; Risk-factors; Neighborhood; Association; Density; Disease; Disparities; Prevalence
Stewart, Orion T.; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Saelens, Brian E.; Lee, Chanam; Kang, Bumjoon; Doescher, Mark P. (2016). Comparing Associations between the Built Environment and Walking in Rural Small Towns and a Large Metropolitan Area. Environment And Behavior, 48(1), 13 – 36.
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Abstract
The association between the built environment (BE) and walking has been studied extensively in urban areas, yet little is known whether the same associations hold for smaller, rural towns. This analysis examined objective measures of the BE around participants' residence and their utilitarian and recreational walking from two studies, one in the urban Seattle area (n = 464) and the other in nine small U.S. towns (n = 299). After adjusting for sociodemographics, small town residents walked less for utilitarian purposes but more for recreational purposes. These differences were largely explained by differential associations of the BE on walking in the two settings. In Seattle, the number of neighborhood restaurants was positively associated with utilitarian walking, but in small towns, the association was negative. In small towns, perception of slow traffic on nearby streets was positively associated with recreational walking, but not in Seattle. These observations suggest that urban-rural context matters when planning BE interventions to support walking.
Keywords
Physical-activity; Utilitarian Walking; Transportation; Obesity; Adults; Travel; Urban; Prevalence; Strategies; Physical Activity; Walkability; City Planning; Urban Design; Community Health; Gis (geographic Information System); Gps (global Positioning System); Accelerometer; Effect Modification
Sun, Feiyang; Chen, Peng; Jiao, Junfeng. (2018). Promoting Public Bike-Sharing: A Lesson from the Unsuccessful Pronto System. Transportation Research: Part D, 63, 533 – 547.
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Abstract
In 2014, Seattle implemented its own bike-sharing system, Pronto. However, the system ultimately ceased operation three years later on March 17th, 2017. To learn from this failure, this paper seeks to understand factors that encourage, or discourage, bike-sharing trip generation and attraction at the station level. This paper investigates the effects of land use, roadway design, elevation, bus trips, weather, and temporal factors on three-hour long bike pickups and returns at each docking station. To address temporal autocorrelations and the nonlinear seasonality, the paper implements a generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) that incorporates the joint effects of a time metric and time-varying variables. The paper estimates models on total counts of pickups and returns, as well as pickups categorized by user types and by location. The results clarify that effects of hilly terrain and the rainy weather, two commonly perceived contributors to the failure. Additionally, results suggest that users in the University District, presumably mostly university students, tend to use shared bikes in neighborhoods with a higher household density and a higher percentage of residential land use, and make bike-sharing trips regardless workdays or non-workdays. The paper also contributes to the discussion on the relationship between public transportation service and bike-sharing. In general, users tend to use bike-sharing more at stations that have more scheduled bus trips nearby. However, some bike-sharing users may shift to bus services during peak hours and rainy weather. Several strategies are proposed accordingly to increase bike ridership in the future.
Keywords
Bicycle Sharing Programs; Urban Transportation; Transportation & The Environment; Land Use Planning; Time-varying Systems; Bike-sharing; Built Environment; Generalized Additive Mixed Model; Pronto; Temporal Factors; Built Environment Factors; Bicycle; Impact; Transportation; Walking; Usage
Le, Vi T.; Dannenberg, Andrew L. (2020). Moving Toward Physical Activity Targets by Walking to Transit: National Household Transportation Survey, 2001-2017. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine, 59(3), E115 – E123.
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Abstract
Introduction: Public transportation systems can help people engage in physical activity. This study assesses sociodemographic correlates and trends in the daily time spent walking to and from transit in the U.S. from 2001 to 2017. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2001, 2009, and 2017 National Household Transportation Survey. Data were analyzed in 2019 to assess the daily level of physical activity attained solely by walking to and from transit. Regression models were used to examine predictors of daily transit-associated walking. Results: Compared with the full National Household Transportation Survey sample, transit users who walked to and from transit tended to be younger, from households earning <$25,000 per year, in areas with rail infrastructure, and did not have a household-owned car. Transit walkers spent a median of 20 minutes per day (95% CI=18.5, 21.5) walking to and from transit in 2017, compared with a median of 19 minutes (95% CI=17.5, 20.5) in 2001. Among transit walkers, daily transitassociated physical activity was 27% higher for those residing in areas with rail infrastructure (adjusted coefficient=1.27, 95% CI=1.11, 1.46) and 34% higher for those from households earning $99,999 per year (adjusted coefficient=1.34, 95% CI=1.15, 1.56). Conclusions: As documented in a growing literature, most public transit trips include at least some walking; thus, efforts to encourage transit use are favorable to public health. Continued monitoring by transportation surveys is important as new forms of mobility and changing demographics may impact future transit use and associated physical activity. (C) 2020 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Physical Activity; Household Surveys; Public Transit; Cross-sectional Method; Public Health; Walking; Exercise; Research Funding; Transportation; Replacing Sedentary Time; Public-transit; Travel; Mortality; Adults; Health; Work