Difference between spatial perception and built environments in leisure behavior approach to the life-course

Abstract

The influence of leisure behavior on the built environment can be blurred by an individual"s or a household’s lifestyle and can vary depending on the life course. This study aimed to understand the mechanism of difference between spatial perception and built environments in leisure behavior approach to the life course. Data collected from 854 subjects, including leisure behavior information for a month and geo-information data, were used to identify the characteristics of differences between spatial perception and built environments and to understand leisure behavior relating to this using multivariate analysis of variance. First, the parenting groups showed a relatively higher spatial perception than non-parenting groups. Income-related characteristics were observed as important variables that influenced spatial perception without regard to parenting or non-parenting. Secondly, walking for leisure did not show much difference in behavior from the perspective of the life-course. In addition, in low quality built environments, even though the spatial perception was high, walking for leisure showed that there was no behavioral difference. It was also found that the parenting and the non-parenting groups with the low spatial perception and high built environments showed differences in leisure behavior generation in all leisure behavior modes.