Levels and Characteristics of Utilitarian Walking in the Central Areas of the Cities of Bologna and Porto

Simona Tondelli,Paulo Ribeiro,George Papageorgiou,Elisa Conticelli,Fernando Fonseca,Rui Ramos,Mona Jabbari

doi:10.3390/su13063064

Simona Tondelli, Paulo Ribeiro + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063064

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Abstract

Walking is a mode of transport that offers many environmental and health benefits. Utilitarian walking refers to walking trips undertaken to fulfil routine purposes. The aim of this paper is to examine the extent to which walking is used as a transport mode for short urban trips in the city centers of Bologna and Porto and the barriers preventing utilitarian walking. Based on a questionnaire (n = 1117) administered in the two cities, results indicated that 21% of the individuals travel by foot, while 47% combine walking with other modes. This means that 68% of the daily trips to these city centers involve walking activity. From the overall trips, 84% were made to reach work and school/university. Statistical tests showed that utilitarian walkers were more likely to be females (p < 0.001) and undergraduates (p < 0.001). People from Bologna were more likely to engage in utilitarian walking than people from Porto (p < 0.001). Travel distance and time were the main barriers preventing people from engaging in utilitarian walking. The findings described in this paper provide a better understanding of utilitarian walking in the central areas of both cities, which can guide policies to promote healthier lifestyles and sustainable mobility.

Highlights

In order to provide a better understanding of utilitarian walking, this paper examines the extent to which walking is daily used as a transport mode for short urban trips
The findings indicate that an important share of the daily trips to the central areas of Bologna and Porto involve walking: 21% travel by foot, 47% combine walking with other modes, and 32% travel by using other modes of transport
This paper examined the extent to which walking is used as a transport mode for short urban trips in the centers of two medium-sized European cities, Bologna and Porto

Summary

Introduction

Walking is the oldest and simplest form of human mobility. Walking is usually the first and last mode used in a trip. Walking is often considered the greenest, cheapest, and easiest mode of transport [1,2,3]. For that reason, replacing short car trips with walking trips has an important role in making our cities more sustainable [5]. Walking is an active mode of transport and the most widely available form of physical activity that helps to prevent various physiological and mental diseases associated with sedentary lifestyles, such as obesity, diabetes, and depression [6]. Daily walking to routine destinations can help to achieve this target defined by the WHO

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