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How Can Psychological Theory Help Cities Increase Walking and Bicycling?

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  • Jennifer Dill
  • Cynthia Mohr
  • Liang Ma

Abstract

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Planners need a clear understanding of what influences walking and bicycling behavior to develop effective strategies to increase use of those modes. Transportation practitioners have largely focused on infrastructure and the built environment, although researchers have found that attitudes are also very important. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) suggests that behavior such as active transportation results from a mixture of personal attitudes toward these modes, subjective norms, and a person's perceived behavioral control, giving us a way to conceptualize psychological factors that influence travel behavior. Using data from a random phone survey of three neighborhoods in Portland (OR), we test whether TPB explains the possible causal relationships among the built environment, socio-demographics, and active transportation. We find that both the built environment and demographics influence cycling and walking, although indirectly, by influencing attitudes and perceived behavioral control. Moreover, it is important to look at bicycle-specific infrastructure separately from other environmental characteristics. For example, relatively flat neighborhoods with well-connected, low-traffic streets and multiple destinations were associated with more frequent bicycling, but striped bike lanes were not. Takeaway for practice: Practitioners cannot rely solely on changing the environment to increase bicycling. Programs such as public events and individualized marketing that influence attitudes may be necessary to reinforce positive environmental features. This is particularly true for women and older adults. Moreover, adding bike lanes to an otherwise poor bicycling environment may not increase bicycling in any significant way.

Suggested Citation

  • Jennifer Dill & Cynthia Mohr & Liang Ma, 2014. "How Can Psychological Theory Help Cities Increase Walking and Bicycling?," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 80(1), pages 36-51, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:rjpaxx:v:80:y:2014:i:1:p:36-51
    DOI: 10.1080/01944363.2014.934651
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    Cited by:

    1. Jie Gao & Dick Ettema & Marco Helbich & Carlijn B. M. Kamphuis, 2019. "Travel mode attitudes, urban context, and demographics: do they interact differently for bicycle commuting and cycling for other purposes?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 2441-2463, December.
    2. Lei Gong & Tianxu Wang & Tian Lei & Qin Luo & Zhu Han & Yihong Mo, 2023. "Daily Travel Mode Choice Considering Carbon Credit Incentive (CCI)—An Application of the Integrated Choice and Latent Variable (ICLV) Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Aston, Laura & Currie, Graham & Kamruzzaman, Md. & Delbosc, Alexa & Teller, David, 2020. "Study design impacts on built environment and transit use research," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    4. Rosa Marina González & Concepción Román & Ángel Simón Marrero, 2018. "Visitors’ Attitudes towards Bicycle Use in the Teide National Park," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-18, September.
    5. Ma, Liang & Ettema, Dick & Ye, Runing, 2021. "Determinants of bicycling for transportation in disadvantaged neighbourhoods: Evidence from Xi’an, China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 103-117.
    6. Thigpen, Calvin & Fischer, Jaimy & Nelson, Trisalyn & Therrien, Suzanne & Fuller, Daniel & Gauvin, Lise & Winters, Meghan, 2019. "Who is ready to bicycle? Categorizing and mapping bicyclists with behavior change concepts," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 11-17.
    7. Wenjia Zhang & Ming Zhang, 2018. "Incorporating land use and pricing policies for reducing car dependence: Analytical framework and empirical evidence," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 55(13), pages 3012-3033, October.
    8. Rodriguez-Valencia, Alvaro & Rosas-Satizábal, Daniel & Gordo, Daniel & Ochoa, Andrés, 2019. "Impact of household proximity to the cycling network on bicycle ridership: The case of Bogotá," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1-1.
    9. Hopkins, Debbie, 2016. "Can environmental awareness explain declining preference for car-based mobility amongst generation Y? A qualitative examination of learn to drive behaviours," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 149-163.
    10. Thigpen, Calvin, 2017. "The Reciprocal Relationship between Children and Young Adults' Travel Behavior and Their Travel Attitudes, Skills, and Norms," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt383679dd, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    11. Gupta, Akshay & Bivina, G.R. & Parida, Manoranjan, 2022. "Does neighborhood design matter for walk access to metro stations? An integrated SEM-Hybrid discrete mode choice approach," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 61-77.
    12. Shi, Haochen & Yu, Lijun & Xu, Yaogeng & Liu, Yuqi & Zhao, Miaoxi, 2023. "The impact of the streetscape built environment on recreation satisfaction: A case study of Guangzhou," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    13. Misra, Aditi & Shirgaokar, Manish & Weinstein Agrawal, Asha & Dobbs, Bonnie & Wachs, Martin, 2022. "How older adults use Ride-hailing booking technology in California," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 11-30.
    14. Guo, Yuanyuan & He, Sylvia Y., 2021. "The role of objective and perceived built environments in affecting dockless bike-sharing as a feeder mode choice of metro commuting," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 377-396.
    15. Matthew Wigginton Bhagat-Conway & Laura Mirtich & Deborah Salon & Nathan Harness & Alexis Consalvo & Shuyao Hong, 2024. "Subjective variables in travel behavior models: a critical review and Standardized Transport Attitude Measurement Protocol (STAMP)," Transportation, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 155-191, February.
    16. Weiya Chen & Ying Chen & Yufen Wang & Xiaoping Fang, 2024. "Bus Drivers’ Behavioral Intention to Comply with Real-Time Control Instructions: An Empirical Study from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-23, April.
    17. Ralph Buehler & Jennifer Dill, 2016. "Bikeway Networks: A Review of Effects on Cycling," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(1), pages 9-27, January.

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