Promoting Walking and Bicycling: Assessing the Evidence to Assist Planners

摘要

How can people be encouraged to walk or cycle more? This article draws on the results of over 300 well-designed empirical studies to provide guidance on how specific strategies can influence walking or cycling for travel: community design, infrastructure availability, infrastructure quality, programming, pricing, and combined strategies. Urban environments with high levels of walking and cycling for travel typically represent a combination of many factors that help promote these modes. The most compelling argument, particularly for cycling, is that only via an integrated range of built environmental features (including infrastructure and facility improvements), pricing policies, or education programmes will substantive changes result. This is what has been occurring in The Netherlands, Denmark, and parts of Germany for decades. By linking research to practical advice, the article fills a gap between (a) the many excellent literature reviews pointing to where further research is needed and (b) useful practice-oriented guidelines based on experience.