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Does Walking in the Neighbourhood Enhance Local Sociability?

Author

Listed:
  • Lorinne du Toit

    (Cancer Prevention Research Centre, School of Population Health, Public Health Building, Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia, l.dutoit@sph.uq.edu.au)

  • Ester Cerin

    (Institute of Human Performance, The University of Hong Kong, 111 Pokfulam Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, ecerin@hku.hk)

  • Evie Leslie

    (School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Waterfront Campus, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria, Australia 3217, evie.leslie@deakin.edu.au)

  • Neville Owen

    (Cancer Prevention Research Centre, School of Population Health, Public Health Building, Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia, n.owen@sph.uq.edu.au)

Abstract

The walkability of urban neighbourhoods has emerged as a strong component in policy and design models for active, liveable communities. This paper examines the proposition that more walkable neighbourhoods encourage local social interaction, a sense of community, informal social control and social cohesion; and that the relationship is explained by walking for transport or for recreation. Multilevel analyses of data from an Australian sample showed a modest association between the walkability of a neighbourhood and sense of community only. Walking for transport, but not recreation, mediated this relationship although the effect was small. These results support contentions that 'walkability' is more complex than usually defined and that factors influencing neighbourhood sociability extend beyond issues of urban form.

Suggested Citation

  • Lorinne du Toit & Ester Cerin & Evie Leslie & Neville Owen, 2007. "Does Walking in the Neighbourhood Enhance Local Sociability?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 44(9), pages 1677-1695, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:44:y:2007:i:9:p:1677-1695
    DOI: 10.1080/00420980701426665
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cervero, R. & Duncan, M., 2003. "Walking, Bicycling, and Urban Landscapes: Evidence from the San Francisco Bay Area," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1478-1483.
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    3. White, Halbert, 1982. "Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Misspecified Models," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(1), pages 1-25, January.
    4. Cervero, Robert & Duncan, Michael, 2003. "Walking, Bicycling, and Urban Landscapes: Evidence from the San Francisco Bay Area," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt6zr1x95m, University of California Transportation Center.
    5. Leyden, K.M., 2003. "Social Capital and the Built Environment: The Importance of Walkable Neighborhoods," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1546-1551.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mizzo Kwon & Andrew C. Pickett & Yunsoo Lee & SeungJong Lee, 2019. "Neighborhood Physical Environments, Recreational Wellbeing, and Psychological Health," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(1), pages 253-271, March.
    2. Delmelle, Elizabeth C. & Haslauer, Eva & Prinz, Thomas, 2013. "Social satisfaction, commuting and neighborhoods," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 110-116.
    3. Young-Jae Kim & Ayoung Woo, 2016. "What’s the Score? Walkable Environments and Subsidized Households," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-20, April.
    4. Austin Boyle & Charles Barrilleaux & Daniel Scheller, 2014. "Does Walkability Influence Housing Prices?," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 95(3), pages 852-867, September.
    5. Stefano Bartolini, 2018. "Social capital as disease prevention," Department of Economics University of Siena 778, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    6. Florkowski, Wojciech J. & Us, Anna, 2017. "Common Forms Of Recreation Among Residents Of Rural Areas: The Case Of Residents In Lubelskie Voivodship," Roczniki (Annals), Polish Association of Agricultural Economists and Agribusiness - Stowarzyszenie Ekonomistow Rolnictwa e Agrobiznesu (SERiA), vol. 2016(4), May.
    7. Cerin, Ester & Leslie, Eva & Owen, Neville, 2009. "Explaining socio-economic status differences in walking for transport: An ecological analysis of individual, social and environmental factors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1013-1020, March.
    8. Kamruzzaman, Md. & Wood, Lisa & Hine, Julian & Currie, Graham & Giles-Corti, Billie & Turrell, Gavin, 2014. "Patterns of social capital associated with transit oriented development," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 144-155.

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