Pedestrian-Friendly Environments and Active Travel for Residents of Multifamily Housing: The Role of Preferences and Perceptions

This article examines the relationship of the built environment to physical activity in suburban multifamily housing developments in a medium-sized city, testing Alfonzo's (2005) model of decisions regarding active travel. All complexes were within one-quarter mile of a shopping area with a major grocery store, but varied in pedestrian friendliness. Survey data were gathered on travel behavior to the stores, sociodemographic characteristics, preferences for an active environment, and perceptions of the extent to which their environment promoted activity. Multilevel analyses showed that residents in more pedestrian-friendly areas had significantly more active travel and less driving travel, indicating a substitution, rather than a supplementation, effect. Results remained when preferences for an active environment were controlled and, in most cases, when perceptions of the environment were controlled. It is suggested that Alfonzo's model of decisions regarding walking behavior be amended to include direct influences of urban form on travel behavior.