Abstract
Walkability has been associated with urban development and political plans, contributing to more connected cities with improvements in communication, shopping, and pedestrian base. Among these services, fitness centers are becoming important elements for communities due to their impact on the health and welfare of citizens. The present study aims to examine how an area’s Walk Score® affects fitness center services, specifically membership costs, opening hours, and aquatic services. Data from 193 fitness centers were retrieved, representing all the areas of the municipality of Madrid, Spain, including fitness centers in the 21 city districts. A nonlinear relationship between an area’s Walk Score® and fitness centers’ monthly fees is observed. Only in premium fitness centers, a weak curvilinear model is observed, following a quadratic equation, showing that fitness centers with higher prices are in less walkable areas. Additionally, the association between Walk Score® and a fitness center’s opening hours reveals that fitness centers with wider hours of operation tend to be in moderately to highly walkable locations. Lastly, the existence of a swimming pool is related to a lower Walk Score®. Thus, fitness centers in less walkable areas try to offer additional services as differentiation from competitors, whereas centers in walkable locations use this advantage as a strength.
Highlights
The concept of walkability is defined as “the extent to which the built environment is friendly to people who walk to work, for leisure or recreation, to travel, for exercise, or to access services” [1].Overall, it can be broadly understood as the extent to which an area, usually an urban area, is walking-friendly [2]
This paper contributes to understanding the association between the geographical distribution of fitness centers and the variables of price, opening hours, and aquatic services
A weak quadratic model is followed only by premium centers, with higher prices in less walkable areas, meaning that members of these centers are willing to travel to less walk-friendly areas
Summary
The concept of walkability is defined as “the extent to which the built environment is friendly to people who walk to work, for leisure or recreation, to travel, for exercise, or to access services” [1].Overall, it can be broadly understood as the extent to which an area, usually an urban area, is walking-friendly [2]. The concept of walkability is defined as “the extent to which the built environment is friendly to people who walk to work, for leisure or recreation, to travel, for exercise, or to access services” [1]. There are some urban elements that are central for walkability These are the connectivity of the path network, linkage with other modes of transport (bus, subway, or train), safety from both traffic and social crime, quality of path (width, paving, or signing) and path context (street design, visual interest, or landscape), and varied land use patterns (reaching most local services on foot within 10–20 min, including uses such as shops, cafes, banks, laundries, grocery stores, parks, or fitness centers) [5]. Walkability is tightly associated with urban development and political plans, contributing to a more connected city with improvements in communication, services, shopping, and pedestrian base [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
