Beyond built environment: Unveiling the interplay of streetscape perceptions and cycling behavior

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2024.105525

Abstract

As an important means of shared micro-mobility, shared bicycles have become a crucial component of urban transportation in China. The impact of the built environment on bicycling has been widely acknowledged. However, can streetscape perceptions influence bicycle-sharing volume (BSV) and supplement the built environment? We first obtained millions of pieces of shared-cycling data from the Shenzhen Open Data Platform and carried out geographical quantification of BSV. As for streetscape, we improved the classification of subjective streetscape perception based on street view images using the k-means clustering algorithm and conducted predictions using XGBoost. Through the application of different regression models, we unveiled the nonlinear spatial interdependencies between BSV and streetscape perceptions as a complement to the built environment. Our findings indicate that greenery, vivid street-front facades, and diverse street facilities can promote BSV. Targeted strategies are proposed for different districts. For instance, urban planners can provide incentives for high-income groups in central urban areas to adopt active travel, and increase the supply of shared bicycles in suburban areas with high building density, particularly in industrial urban villages. As a supplement to the long-term planning recommendations derived from the macro-built environment analysis, an in-depth spatial perception quantitative assessment proffers a human-centric, flexible blueprint for urban street design.

🏙 Background

• Urban Challenges: As cities in China rapidly urbanize, there has been a strong emphasis on motorized transportation, leading to issues like traffic congestion, high carbon emissions, and limited accessibility for non-motorized travel.
• Shift to Micro-Mobility: Shared bicycles represent a sustainable solution to these challenges by addressing the "first and last mile" problem in urban transport, offering an eco-friendly alternative to private car usage.

🎯 Research Objectives

The study aims to:

1. Examine how streetscape perceptions (both objective and subjective) impact bicycle-sharing behavior.
2. Understand the role of streetscape design in promoting cycling.
3. Provide policy recommendations for urban planners and local governments to improve urban street design and support bicycle-sharing systems.

🔬 Methodology

• Data Collection: The study uses millions of shared bicycle data points from the Shenzhen Open Data Platform, street view images (SVIs), and geographic data (POIs, OpenStreetMap).
• Perception Analysis: A combination of objective (e.g., greenness, building continuity) and subjective (e.g., beauty, safety) measures of streetscape perceptions were analyzed using advanced machine learning techniques, including k-means clustering and XGBoost.
• Geospatial Modeling: The relationship between streetscape perceptions and BSV was explored using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) and XGBoost models, considering spatial dependencies in the data.

📊 Results

1. Key Factors Influencing BSV:
• Objective Perceptions: Greenness, building continuity, and openness were found to positively impact bicycle-sharing volumes in specific urban areas.
• Subjective Perceptions: Streets perceived as beautiful, lively, and safe attracted more bicycle trips, while areas perceived as boring or depressing had lower cycling rates.
• Built Environment: Factors like building density and street intersection density also played a significant role, with urban centers showing a complex interaction between the built environment and bicycle-sharing patterns.
2. Geographical Variations: BSV exhibited notable spatial variation across different districts, with central urban areas like Nanshan and Futian showing higher bicycle-sharing volumes, while industrial zones in the suburbs showed lower usage, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.

🚴 Practical Implications

• Design Recommendations:
• Urban Planners should focus on improving street greenness, enhancing building facades, and ensuring safe cycling infrastructure to increase BSV.
• In high-density areas, providing more cycling lanes and enhancing the streetscape’s aesthetic appeal could encourage more cycling.
• Suburban areas could benefit from increased shared bicycle availability and improved street design to make cycling safer and more attractive.
• Policy Suggestions: The study suggests that policies aimed at integrating bike-sharing systems with metro networks could improve the "last mile" connectivity, encouraging more residents to use shared bicycles.

📅 Conclusion

The study underscores the importance of human-centric street design in shaping cycling behavior. By improving streetscape quality and providing better cycling infrastructure, cities can significantly increase shared bicycle usage, contributing to more sustainable urban mobility.