Pedestrian Walkways for Health in Shiraz, Iran, the Contribution of Attitudes, and Perceived Environmental Attributes

Abstract

Walking is important for improving physical activity and public health. The pedestrian walkways called Walkways for Health in Shiraz, Iran, present a high standard of aesthetic and design features which attract many people for the purpose of recreation. In addition, a significant percentage of Iranians suffer from mental disorders. The contribution of aesthetic and design features toward walking for recreation as well as mental health has been demonstrated in previous studies, which have focused on either one or the other of these aspects. This interdisciplinary research study aims to evaluate both of these aspects simultaneously. A quantitative approach including a survey questionnaire and multiple regression analysis was used to examine the objectives. The contributions of walking attitudes and several perceived environmental attributes to the attractiveness for walking and to general/mental health were determined, which suggested the need for new arrangements of the visual sequences and social setting along these walkways. In addition, the observation that younger people suffer are more affected by mental health disorders was one of the most challenging findings. The policy makers of this city could apply the findings of this study to these pedestrian walkways in order to improve the attractiveness for walking as well as general and mental health.

The Hierarchy of Walking Needs and the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The situation has changed dramatically due to this pandemic in which crowding and the expected number of interactions with others have become the main source of stress during walking. The expected number of interactions with other pedestrians has always been known to be one of the main factors in determining the level of comfort/discomfort along pathways [ 3 , 28 , 31 ]. Comparing these relationships during this pandemic shows that when the feeling of comfort is reduced—due to the presence of other pedestrians in crowded spaces—such a feeling quickly turns into stress.…”

“…It is also related to how enjoyable and interesting an area is for walking [ 3 ]. Several physical related factors such as vegetation and social related factors such as outdoor dining areas have been demonstrated as relating to pleasurability which contribute to greater preference for walking as well as improvement of walking behaviour [ 25 , 31 , 35 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 ]. According to urban picturesque theory, the majority of these features and factors can be counted as aesthetic natural and built environment factors as well [ 70 ] ( Figure 5 ).…”

“…Among the motivational/restorative physical factors during walking, natural environments as well as urban greenery have a remarkable impact on reducing stress and improving mental health [ 19 , 31 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 ] ( Figure 5 ). However, restorative experiences in waterside environments and extensively managed natural settings (mainly urban woodlands) are stronger compared to favorite places in built urban settings or green spaces of urban settings (mostly parks) [ 76 ].…”

“…According to urban picturesque theory, some compositions of spatial form and specific design features invoke a more intense aesthetic experience than other compositions which contribute to increasing pedestrian activity and walking trips [ 31 , 70 ]. Based on this theory, the balance between full visual connection between the different visual sequences along the path and semi-hidden views among these visual sequences is one of the core characteristics of urban aesthetic visual sequences which contributes to more intense aesthetic experiences.…”

The Contribution of Mobile Apps to the Improvement of Walking/Cycling Behavior Considering the Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The studies on evaluation of walking and cycling have used different approaches for this evaluation. Some studies focused on walking behavior and the others focused on tendency to walk or the level of attractiveness of walking, in order to recognize the microscale environmental factors which influence the level of attractiveness of walking [44]. The evaluation of microscale walking behavior or tendency to walk has been also approached from studies that examined the path choice process of pedestrians [45,46].…”