Search Results (4)

The motorization of school commutes reduces the physical activity of children and causes a series of urban traffic and social problems, such as traffic congestion in school districts and parents becoming necessary for transportation. To alleviate traffic jams and related social problems, as well as to encourage physical activity amongst students, we advocate non-motorized travel modes for students, such as walking and cycling. Based on a case study of the Wuhan East Lake High-Tech Development Zone, we use a multiple linear regression model to analyze the relationship between influence factors and student travel mode choices. The results show that built environment factors (the built environment factors are divided into density, diversity, accessibility, and destination) have a significant impact on school travel mode choices, especially accessibility and diversity. Furthermore, the study highlights the pivotal role of travel perceptions, particularly perceptions of safety, comfort, and convenience. Through a questionnaire survey, we collect students’ travel perceptions and their actual school travel modes, which offer valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers. The findings indicate the complex interplay between student commuting and the built environment. Additionally, these findings can be valuable, both in academia and for policymakers. We provide strategies that could be beneficial for reducing motor vehicle activities (especially driving). Full article

Previous research has shown that residents’ perceptions significantly influence their residential satisfaction. However, the internal relationships within these perceptions and their impact on satisfaction across different demographic groups remain underexplored. This study, guided by Maslow’s hierarchy and Homo-urbanicus, categorizes residents’ perceptions into four dimensions: safety, convenience, comfort, and aesthetics. Using multi-group structural equation modeling, an empirical investigation was conducted in Wuhan, China. The findings indicate that perceptions of safety, convenience, comfort, and aesthetics exert a chained mediating effect on satisfaction, with the impact pathway being safety → convenience → comfort → aesthetics → satisfaction. Both convenience and comfort also directly influence satisfaction. Notably, perception pathways vary among different demographic groups: women are more influenced by perceptions, younger individuals prioritize convenience and aesthetics, and older adults emphasize safety and comfort. This study highlights demographic differences in perception and satisfaction levels, offering insights into the hierarchical relationships among resident perceptions and their impact pathways on satisfaction. This research suggests enhancing residential satisfaction by optimizing these perceptions, particularly for vulnerable groups. Policy implications include improving human settlement elements at the residential area level, incorporating cultural and innovative elements, and expanding public participation in communities. Full article

This study develops a framework for the impact mechanism based on the “homo urbanicus” theoretical perspective, linking indoor and outdoor fitness environmental elements to residents’ subjective perceptions and their activity intensity. An empirical investigation is conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM) with data from 286 valid questionnaires (N = 421). The results demonstrate that both indoor and outdoor fitness environmental elements—specifically spatial, facility, and environmental factors—significantly positively influence residents’ fitness activity intensity, with this relationship mediated by perceptions of safety, convenience, comfort, and aesthetics. Furthermore, the study uncovers variations in the types and degrees of influence across indoor and outdoor settings. Based on these findings, the author proposes several planning and design strategies: “In indoor environments, it is essential to ensure that fitness spaces feature bright lighting and thoughtful design to enhance aesthetic appeal; additionally, optimizing spatial layouts and integrating information services can foster greater social interaction. For outdoor environments, prioritizing locations near aesthetically pleasing architecture, adjacent to blue landscapes, and within open areas, as well as sites that are close to community amenities and abundant surrounding facilities, will enhance residents’ fitness activity intensity”. Full article

The improvement of the quality of urban parks plays a vital role in the construction and development of urban society. This study examined the factors influencing recreational satisfaction with urban parks, providing a reference for measures to improve the quality of urban parks. Based on the theory of “Homo Urbanicus”, we conducted a factor analysis of recreation satisfaction with urban parks and constructed a structural equation model. It can be seen from the analysis results produced by the causal model that “supporting facilities” and “functional facilities” have the highest contributions to the factor load of the model, which indicates that individual recreational satisfaction with urban parks is mainly based on the relationship between individuals and space conditions. In other words, these elements are necessary to meet the requirement of the “physical” in the “Homo Urbanicus” theory and to supplement the “physical–group–rational” method structure in the “Homo Urbanicus” theory. This conclusion indicates that the improvement of the “functional facilities” and “supporting facilities” of urban parks will play an important role in improving recreational satisfaction with urban parks. The results of this study can help researchers to build an urban park quality evaluation system from the perspective of recreation quality. Full article