TY - JOUR
T1 - Development of a neighborhood drivability index and its association with transportation behavior in Toronto
AU - den Braver, Nicolette R.
AU - Lakerveld, Jeroen
AU - Gozdyra, Peter
AU - van de Brug, Tim
AU - Moin, John S.
AU - Fazli, Ghazal S.
AU - Rutters, Femke
AU - Brug, Johannes
AU - Moineddin, Rahim
AU - Beulens, Joline W. J.
AU - Booth, Gillian L.
N1 - Funding Information: The authors acknowledge the financial support for this research by the Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute Travel grant, the European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD) Albert Renold Travel Fellowship, and operating funds from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Funding Information: The authors acknowledge the Data Management Group of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto, for sharing and providing support in the use of TTS data, specifically Marianne Hatzopoulou, Asmus Georgi and An Wang. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors
PY - 2022/5
Y1 - 2022/5
N2 - Background: Car driving is a form of passive transport that is associated with an increase in physical inactivity, obesity, air pollution and noise. Built environment characteristics may influence transport mode choice, but comprehensive indices for built environment characteristics that drive car use are still lacking, while such an index could provide tangible policy entry points. Objective: We developed and validated a neighbourhood drivability index, capturing combined dimensions of the neighbourhood environment in the City of Toronto, and investigated its association with transportation choices (car, public transit or active transport), overall, by trip length, and combined for residential neighbourhood and workplace drivability. Methods: We used exploratory factor analysis to derive distinct factors (clusters of one or more environmental characteristics) that reflect the degree of car dependency in each neighbourhood, drawing from candidate variables that capture density, diversity, design, destination accessibility, distance to transit, and demand management. Area-level factor scores were then combined into a single composite score, reflecting neighbourhood drivability. Negative binomial generalized estimating equations were used to test the association between driveability quintiles (Q) and primary travel mode (>50% of trips by car, public transit, or walking/cycling) in a population-based sample of 63,766 Toronto residents enrolled in the Transportation Tomorrow Survey (TTS) wave 2016, adjusting for individual and household characteristics, and accounting for clustering of respondents within households. Results: The drivability index consisted of three factors: Urban sprawl, pedestrian facilities and parking availability. Relative to those living in the least drivable neighbourhoods (Q1), those in high drivability areas (Q5) had a significantly higher rate of car travel (adjusted Risk Ratio (RR): 1.80, 95%CI: 1.77–1.88), and lower rate of public transit use (RR: 0.90, 95%CI: 0.85–0.94) and walking/cycling (RR: 0.22, 95%CI: 0.19–0.25). Associations were strongest for short trips (<3 km) (RR: 2.72, 95%CI: 2.48–2.92), and in analyses where both residential and workplace drivability was considered (RR for car use in high/high vs. low/low residential/workplace drivability: 2.18, 95%CI: 2.08–2.29). Conclusion: This novel neighbourhood drivability index predicted whether local residents drive or use active modes of transportation and can be used to investigate the association between drivability, physical activity, and chronic disease risk.
AB - Background: Car driving is a form of passive transport that is associated with an increase in physical inactivity, obesity, air pollution and noise. Built environment characteristics may influence transport mode choice, but comprehensive indices for built environment characteristics that drive car use are still lacking, while such an index could provide tangible policy entry points. Objective: We developed and validated a neighbourhood drivability index, capturing combined dimensions of the neighbourhood environment in the City of Toronto, and investigated its association with transportation choices (car, public transit or active transport), overall, by trip length, and combined for residential neighbourhood and workplace drivability. Methods: We used exploratory factor analysis to derive distinct factors (clusters of one or more environmental characteristics) that reflect the degree of car dependency in each neighbourhood, drawing from candidate variables that capture density, diversity, design, destination accessibility, distance to transit, and demand management. Area-level factor scores were then combined into a single composite score, reflecting neighbourhood drivability. Negative binomial generalized estimating equations were used to test the association between driveability quintiles (Q) and primary travel mode (>50% of trips by car, public transit, or walking/cycling) in a population-based sample of 63,766 Toronto residents enrolled in the Transportation Tomorrow Survey (TTS) wave 2016, adjusting for individual and household characteristics, and accounting for clustering of respondents within households. Results: The drivability index consisted of three factors: Urban sprawl, pedestrian facilities and parking availability. Relative to those living in the least drivable neighbourhoods (Q1), those in high drivability areas (Q5) had a significantly higher rate of car travel (adjusted Risk Ratio (RR): 1.80, 95%CI: 1.77–1.88), and lower rate of public transit use (RR: 0.90, 95%CI: 0.85–0.94) and walking/cycling (RR: 0.22, 95%CI: 0.19–0.25). Associations were strongest for short trips (<3 km) (RR: 2.72, 95%CI: 2.48–2.92), and in analyses where both residential and workplace drivability was considered (RR for car use in high/high vs. low/low residential/workplace drivability: 2.18, 95%CI: 2.08–2.29). Conclusion: This novel neighbourhood drivability index predicted whether local residents drive or use active modes of transportation and can be used to investigate the association between drivability, physical activity, and chronic disease risk.
KW - Built environment
KW - Drivability
KW - Household travel survey
KW - Neighborhoods
KW - Physical activity
KW - Transportation behavior
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126565734&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107182
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107182
M3 - Article
C2 - 35306254
SN - 0160-4120
VL - 163
SP - 107182
JO - Environment International
JF - Environment International
M1 - 107182
ER -