Exploring bikeability in a suburban metropolitan area using the Active Commuting Route Environment Scale (ACRES)

Perceived exertion can be lower when exercising in field versus indoors

PURPOSE

Studies indicate that the rated perceived exertion (RPE) during physical exercise can be lower in field environments than indoors. The environmental conditions of those studies are explored. Furthermore, we study if the same phenomenon is valid when cycling indoors versus in cycle commuting environments with high levels of stimuli from both traffic and suburban-urban elements.

METHODS

Twenty commuter cyclists underwent measurements of heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]O2) and RPE assessments for breathing and legs, respectively, while cycling in both laboratory and field conditions. A validated mobile metabolic system was used in the field to measure [Formula: see text]O2. Three submaximal cycle ergometer workloads in the laboratory were used to establish linear regression equations between RPE and % of HR reserve (%HRR) and %[Formula: see text]O2max, separately. Based on these equations, RPE from the laboratory was predicted and compared with RPE levels at the participants' individual cycle commutes at equal intensities. The same approach was used to predict field intensities and for comparisons with corresponding measured intensities at equal RPE levels.

RESULTS

The predicted RPE levels based on the laboratory cycling were significantly higher than the RPE levels in cycle commuting at equal intensities (67% of HRR; 65% of [Formula: see text]O2max). For breathing, the mean RPE levels were; 14.0-14.2 in the laboratory and 12.6 in the field. The corresponding levels for legs were; 14.0-14.2 and 11.5. The range of predicted field intensities in terms of %HRR and %[Formula: see text]O2max was 46-56%, which corresponded to median differences of 19-30% compared to the measured intensities in field at equal RPE.

CONCLUSION

The cycle commuters perceived a lower exertion during their cycle commutes compared to ergometer cycling in a laboratory at equal exercise intensities. This may be due to a higher degree of external stimuli in field, although influences from other possible causes cannot be ruled out.

Pedestrians' Perceptions of Motorized Traffic Variables in Relation to Appraisals of Urban Route Environments

It is important to examine how motorized traffic variables affect pedestrians along a gradient from rural to inner urban settings. Relations between pedestrians' perceptions of four traffic variables and appraisals of route environments as hindering-stimulating for walking as well as unsafe-safe for reasons of traffic, were therefore studied in the inner urban area of Stockholm, Sweden (n = 294). The pedestrians rated their perceptions and appraisals with the Active Commuting Route Environment Scale (ACRES). Correlation, multiple regression, and mediation analyses were used to study the relationships between the traffic variables and the outcome variables. Noise related negatively to both hindering-stimulating for walking, and to unsafety-safety for traffic reasons. Vehicle speed related negatively to unsafety-safety for traffic reasons. Furthermore, vehicle speed protruded as an important origin of the deterring effects of traffic among those who commute by foot. The study shows the value of both partial and simultaneous analyses of the effect of all four traffic variables in relation to outcome variables relevant for walking.

Sustainable Development Perspectives in Physical Education Teacher Education Course Syllabi: An Analysis of Learning Outcomes

Although school education, including the subject of physical education (PE), has the potential to contribute to the visions set out by the 2030 Agenda and its sustainable development goals (SDGs), little attention has been directed towards sustainable development perspectives in PE teacher education (PETE). In this explorative paper, we aimed to investigate how sustainable development perspectives are reflected in Swedish PETE course syllabi, focusing on learning outcomes. The source of data was 496 learning outcomes retrieved from PETE course syllabi at the eight Swedish PETE institutions that examine PE teachers for compulsory school grades 7−9 and upper secondary school. A qualitative thematical analysis was performed, and two educational resources developed to support how to use education in achieving SDGs were used as a guiding framework. The findings show eight learning outcomes (<2%) explicitly related to sustainable development perspectives. We found these learning outcomes in courses dealing with outdoor education, movement and health didactics, and work environment and ergonomics. Our further analysis suggests that 37 learning objectives (19% as cognitive, 43% as socio-emotional, and 38% as behavioural) and 31 competencies (35% within knowledge and understanding, 32% within skills and applications, and 32% within values and attributes) could be linked to our themes of learning outcomes. These learning objectives and competencies of the SDGs were for good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, reduced inequalities, peace, justice, and strong institutions. The main findings signal a possibility to work with the conceptualisation of sustainable development perspectives and SDGs in PETE. PETE educators should be encouraged to critically reflect on what it can mean to include sustainable development perspectives in PETE course syllabi.

A Scoping Review of Bikeability Assessment Methods

Bicycling holds promise as a healthy and sustainable means of transportation and physical activity. Despite the growing interest in community-based environmental approaches to promoting physical activity, bikeability has received relatively little attention. This paper provides a scoping review of the instruments developed to measure bikeability along with practice-based analyses of the tools related to user expertise, estimated cost, and required time to implement. The review summarizes the literature, identifies research gaps, and informs stakeholders with articles from EBSCO and transportation databases published after 2003 when the previous bikeability instrument review paper was published. Data extraction included the tool name, data collection method, study location, data collection scale, type of measure, and description. Two reviewers independently reviewed articles included in the full text review, and the inter-rater agreement exceeded 90%. The database search yielded 388 unique articles, and 17 met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Most of the studies, 11 of 17, were applied to settings outside of the U.S. Five studies employed a self-report survey, and five studies examined bikeability using geospatial data, like GIS. Seven studies used a direct observation audit tool-one specifically using a mobile app and another using virtual observation techniques with Google Street View. Bikeability tools are useful for assessing communities and their supports for bicycling. Our primary finding is that advances in technology over the past two decades have driven innovative and useful methodologies, in a variety of disciplines, for assessing the environment, but more consensus is needed to provide a universal definition of bikeability.

Effects of new dock-less bicycle-sharing programs on cycling: a retrospective study in Shanghai

OBJECTIVES

To examine (1) the effect of new dock-less bicycle-sharing programmes on change in travel mode and (2) the correlates of change in travel mode.

DESIGN

A retrospective natural experimental study.

SETTING

12 neighbourhoods in Shanghai.

PARTICIPANTS

1265 respondents were recruited for a retrospective study in May 2017.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Prevalence of cycling before and after launch of dock-less bicycle-sharing programme.

RESULTS

The proportion of participants cycling for transport increased from 33.3% prior to the launch of the bicycle-sharing programmes to 48.3% 1 year after the launch (p<0.001). Being in the age group of 30-49 years (OR 2.28; 95% CI 1.30 to 4.00), living within the inner ring of the city (OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.22 to 4.26), having dedicated bicycle lanes (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.68) and perceiving riding shared bicycles as fashionable (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.76) were positively associated with adopting cycling for transport. Access to a public transportation stop/station (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.99) was inversely correlated with adopting cycling for transport.

CONCLUSIONS

Dock-less bicycle sharing may promote bicycle use in a metropolitan setting. Findings from this study also highlight the importance of cycling-friendly built environments and cultural norms as facilitators of adopting cycling.

Cycling for Transportation in Sao Paulo City: Associations with Bike Paths, Train and Subway Stations

Cities that support cycling for transportation reap many public health benefits. However, the prevalence of this mode of transportation is low in Latin American countries and the association with facilities such as bike paths and train/subway stations have not been clarified. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the relationship between bike paths, train/subway stations and cycling for transportation in adults from the city of Sao Paulo. We used data from the Sao Paulo Health Survey (n = 3145). Cycling for transportation was evaluated by a questionnaire and bike paths and train/subway stations were geocoded using the geographic coordinates of the adults' residential addresses in 1500-m buffers. We used multilevel logistic regression, taking account of clustering by census tract and households. The prevalence of cycling for transportation was low (5.1%), and was more prevalent in males, singles, those active in leisure time, and in people with bicycle ownership in their family. Cycling for transportation was associated with bike paths up to a distance of 500 m from residences (OR (Odds Ratio) = 2.54, 95% CI (Confidence interval) 1.16-5.54) and with the presence of train/subway stations for distances >500 m from residences (OR = 2.07, 95% CI 1.10-3.86). These results are important to support policies to improve cycling for transportation in megacities such as Sao Paulo.

Car free cities: Pathway to healthy urban living

BACKGROUND

Many cities across the world are beginning to shift their mobility solution away from the private cars and towards more environmentally friendly and citizen-focused means. Hamburg, Oslo, Helsinki, and Madrid have recently announced their plans to become (partly) private car free cities. Other cities like Paris, Milan, Chengdu, Masdar, Dublin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Bogota, and Hyderabad have measures that aim at reducing motorized traffic including implementing car free days, investing in cycling infrastructure and pedestrianization, restricting parking spaces and considerable increases in public transport provision. Such plans and measures are particularly implemented with the declared aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These reductions are also likely to benefit public health.

AIMS

We aimed to describe the plans for private car free cities and its likely effects on public health.

METHODS

We reviewed the grey and scientific literature on plans for private car free cities, restricted car use, related exposures and health.

RESULTS

An increasing number of cities are planning to become (partly) private car free. They mainly focus on the reduction of private car use in city centers. The likely effects of such policies are significant reductions in traffic-related air pollution, noise, and temperature in city centers. For example, up to a 40% reduction in NO2 levels has been reported on car free days. These reductions are likely to lead to a reduction in premature mortality and morbidity. Furthermore the reduction in the number of cars, and therefore a reduction in the need for parking places and road space, provides opportunities to increase green space and green networks in cities, which in turn can lead to many beneficial health effects. All these measures are likely to lead to higher levels of active mobility and physical activity which may improve public health the most and also provide more opportunities for people to interact with each other in public space. Furthermore, such initiatives, if undertaken at a sufficiently large scale can result in positive distal effects and climate change mitigation through CO2 reductions. The potential negative effects which may arise due to motorized traffic detouring around car free zone into their destinations also need further evaluation and the areas in which car free zones are introduced need to be given sufficient attention so as not to become an additional way to exacerbate socioeconomic divides. The extent and magnitude of all the above effects is still unclear and needs further research, including full chain health impact assessment modeling to quantify the potential health benefits of such schemes, and exposure and epidemiological studies to measure any changes when such interventions take place.

CONCLUSIONS

The introduction of private car free cities is likely to have direct and indirect health benefits, but the exact magnitude and potential conflicting effects are as yet unclear. This paper has overviewed the expected health impacts, which can be useful to underpin policies to reduce car use in cities.

Urban and transport planning, environmental exposures and health-new concepts, methods and tools to improve health in cities

BACKGROUND

The majority of people live in cities and urbanization is continuing worldwide. Cities have long been known to be society's predominant engine of innovation and wealth creation, yet they are also a main source of pollution and disease.

METHODS

We conducted a review around the topic urban and transport planning, environmental exposures and health and describe the findings.

RESULTS

Within cities there is considerable variation in the levels of environmental exposures such as air pollution, noise, temperature and green space. Emerging evidence suggests that urban and transport planning indicators such as road network, distance to major roads, and traffic density, household density, industry and natural and green space explain a large proportion of the variability. Personal behavior including mobility adds further variability to personal exposures, determines variability in green space and UV exposure, and can provide increased levels of physical activity. Air pollution, noise and temperature have been associated with adverse health effects including increased morbidity and premature mortality, UV and green space with both positive and negative health effects and physical activity with many health benefits. In many cities there is still scope for further improvement in environmental quality through targeted policies. Making cities 'green and healthy' goes far beyond simply reducing CO2 emissions. Environmental factors are highly modifiable, and environmental interventions at the community level, such as urban and transport planning, have been shown to be promising and more cost effective than interventions at the individual level. However, the urban environment is a complex interlinked system. Decision-makers need not only better data on the complexity of factors in environmental and developmental processes affecting human health, but also enhanced understanding of the linkages to be able to know at which level to target their actions. New research tools, methods and paradigms such as geographical information systems, smartphones, and other GPS devices, small sensors to measure environmental exposures, remote sensing and the exposome paradigm together with citizens observatories and science and health impact assessment can now provide this information.

CONCLUSION

While in cities there are often silos of urban planning, mobility and transport, parks and green space, environmental department, (public) health department that do not work together well enough, multi-sectorial approaches are needed to tackle the environmental problems. The city of the future needs to be a green city, a social city, an active city, a healthy city.