Examining the associations between perceived built environment and active travel, before and after the COVID-19 outbreak in Shiraz city, Iran

Amin Shaer; Meysam Rezaei; Behnam Moghani Rahimi; Fatemeh Shaer

doi:10.1016/j.cities.2021.103255

Examining the associations between perceived built environment and active travel, before and after the COVID-19 outbreak in Shiraz city, Iran

Cities. 2021 Aug:115:103255. doi: 10.1016/j.cities.2021.103255. Epub 2021 May 14.

Authors

Amin Shaer¹, Meysam Rezaei², Behnam Moghani Rahimi³, Fatemeh Shaer⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Transportation Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Iran.
² Assistant Professor of Urban Planning, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Department of Urban Planning, Salman Farsi University of Kazerun, Iran.
³ Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Department of Geography, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran.
⁴ Faculty of Geographical Sciences and Planning, University of Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and policies to control the outbreak such as quarantine, jobs closures, and traffic restrictions on active travel of Central Businesses District (CBD) residents in comparison with the non-CBD residents of Shiraz, Iran; and examine the relationship between perceived built environment factors and active travel in the pre- and post-outbreak. The results indicate that the most effective individuals factors on active travel are bicycle and car ownership, and built environment characteristics are walkability, bikeability, security, aesthetics, traffic calming, intersections safety, land uses diversity and density, destination accessibility, street pattern, and bike-sharing infrastructures. Also, the average walking and cycling time of the CBD residents before and after the outbreak is more than that of the non-CBD residents, which is due to the quality of built environment factors in the CBD. A built environment with mixed, diverse, dense and accessible land uses, as well as safe and secure cycling and walking routes have major effects on active travel in the crisis. Hence, it is suggested that policymakers take action to make the environment more people-friendly to maintain citizens' mobility in the critical situation, when many travel modes have lost their efficiency.

Keywords: Active travel; Built environment; Central businesses district (CBD); Coronavirus; Pandemic.