The effects of neighbourhood attachment and built environment on walking and life satisfaction: A case study of Shenzhen

Abstract

As the most sustainable mode of transport, walking enables people to interact with their environment more intimately. Such close interactions can strengthen pedestrians' place attachment and influence their life satisfaction and well-being. However, the bond between people and their meaningful places has been largely overlooked in walking studies. This study explores the effects of the built environment and neighbourhood attachment on the level of satisfaction for three purposes of walking trips and pedestrians' overall life satisfaction. Applying a mixed-methods design, surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from pedestrians in Shenzhen on their daily walking activities. Hierarchical regression analysis and qualitative thematic analysis were used to analyse the quantitative and qualitative data respectively. The findings suggested the effects of built environment on walking satisfaction vary among different purposes of walking, and neighbourhood attachment has significant positive effects on individual's walking satisfaction and life satisfaction. The qualitative findings further explained how neighbourhood attachment could modify individual's perceptions on walking environment and shaped their walking and life satisfaction through connecting pedestrians' feelings, memories, and knowledge of the neighbourhood to their walking experiences. This research extends the current debate on the links between the built environment, neighbourhood attachment and travel satisfaction.