Evidence for urban design and public health policy and practice: Space syntax metrics and neighborhood walking

Most walkability indices do not capture the topological structure of urban forms. Space syntax models these topological relationships. We estimated associations between the space syntax measure of street integration and walkability (SSW) and neighborhood-specific leisure (LW) and transportation (TW) walking among 4422 Canadian adults. Street integration and SSW were found to be positively associated with TW and LW participation in a usual week. A one-unit increase in SSW was associated with a 6-min increase in usual weekly minutes of TW. Street integration and SSW were also positively associated with TW participation in the last week. Higher street integration and walkability conceptualized using space syntax support neighborhood walking.

Automated summary

Space syntax models the topological relationships of urban forms, and is useful in understanding the associations between street integration and walkability. The study found that street integration and the space syntax measure of walkability are positively correlated with neighborhood walking activities, which is beneficial for promoting walking behaviors.