The impact of built environment on urban residents’ cycling intensity and its heterogeneity: A case study of the central urban area of Wuhan
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Urban cycling emerges as a sustainable transportation mode with demonstrated potential to alleviate traffic congestion, mitigate air pollution, and improve public health outcomes. This study investigates the relationship between built environment characteristics and cycling intensity in central urban area of Wuhan, with particular attention to spatial heterogeneity. Utilizing high-resolution GPS trajectory data from the “2bulu” (2023–2024), we employ ArcGIS grid-based analysis to quantify cycling intensity through intra-cell trajectory aggregation. A multi-method analytical framework integrating ArcGIS spatial analysis, SPSS statistical evaluation, and Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) modeling reveals four principal findings: (1) Cycling intensity demonstrates significant spatial non-stationarity, exhibiting a pronounced “proximity-to-water” distribution pattern; (2) Five built environment dimensions - urban density, population-housing characteristics, transportation infrastructure, natural environmental factors, and facility distribution - collectively explain spatial variations in cycling behavior; (3) NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index), and hierarchical road network densities exhibit particularly strong yet heterogeneous associations with cycling intensity; (4) The influence and spatial scale of built environment variables vary significantly across predictors, highlighting context-dependent mechanisms.
Source: Journal of Urban Management
Authors: Wei Wei, Wenyi Xu, Mengyao Hong, Junnan Xia
Institution: Wuhan University
Language: English
Subfield: Transportation
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,200
Awards: G1072743246, G7365217785
OpenAlex ID: W4411280921