International Conference on Transportation and Development 2020
Health Impacts of Nonmotorized Travel, Telecommuting, and the Built Environment: A County-Level Analysis
Publication: International Conference on Transportation and Development 2020
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the roles of nonmotorized travel, telecommuting, and the built environment in health. Multilevel structural equation models have been developed to examine the complex interrelationships between county-level nonmotorized travel and telecommuting mode shares, county-level health status indicators, as well as built and social environment characteristics at various spatial levels. The results indicate that higher levels of nonmotorized travel within a county are linked with improved health outcomes for residents, whereas higher rates of telecommuting are related to adverse health effects. The results further show that county-level health outcomes are linked with built environment attributes including the extent of compactness and mixed-use development, pedestrian-friendliness of the street network, distance to transit, access to healthcare and recreational facilities, and prevalence of fast food restaurants. Identifying the key factors that influence the health profiles of communities, these findings can assist in developing more effective transportation planning policies that foster sustainable travel and promote healthier communities.
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Published In
International Conference on Transportation and Development 2020
Pages: 82 - 96
Editor: Guohui Zhang, Ph.D., University of Hawaii
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8315-2
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Aug 31, 2020
Published in print: Aug 31, 2020
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