Higher Street Connectivity Research Articles

Nonlinear associations between design, land-use features, and active travel

The nonlinearity correlations of design and land-use features with active travel (AT) are yet to be systematically identified by recent studies. This study aims to apply the extreme gradient boosting approach to examine the nonlinear relationships between design and land-use built environment (BE) features and AT. Based on a comprehensive travel survey in Wuhan’s main agglomeration with various land use and urban functions, we collected 2073 valid samples to obtain residents’ daily travel patterns and socio-demographic attributes. We found that all BE features have nonlinear relationships with AT. The collective relative importance of design features has greater predictive power for AT than land-use features. The most effective range of high contributions of street connectivity and street greenery was 21–34/km2 and 0.22–0.34, respectively. Planners should improve the street-level features and build dense, diverse land use and high street connectivity urban environments to promote AT activity.

Urban environment exposures, energy balance-related behaviors and their combination in preschoolers from three European countries

BackgroundUrban environments are characterized by many factors that may influence children’s energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs), but there is limited research on the impact of prospective exposure to multiple urban factors in preschoolers. We evaluated prospective associations between various urban exposures and EBRBs in preschoolers across Europe, with EBRBs considered both individually and combined into lifestyle patterns. MethodsWe used data from 4,073 preschoolers (aged 3–4 years) participating in three European cohorts from the EU Child Cohort Network: BiB (United Kingdom), EDEN (France), and INMA (Spain). Eighteen built and food environment, green spaces, road traffic and ambient air pollution exposures were characterized at residential addresses. Various EBRBs were considered as the outcomes including screen time, sleep duration and diet (fruit, vegetables, discretionary sweet foods, sweet beverages) individually and combined into unhealthy lifestyle patterns, using principal components analysis. Associations between urban exposures and outcomes were estimated using a single-exposure analysis and the deletion-substitution-addition algorithm was used to construct multi-exposure models. ResultsIn multi-exposure models, greater walkability and smaller distance to the nearest road were associated with higher scores on the unhealthy lifestyle patterns. Likewise, greater walkability was associated with higher screen time and more frequent discretionary sweet food consumption. A smaller distance to the nearest road was also associated with lower sleep duration and more frequent sweet beverages consumption. On the other hand, higher levels of street connectivity showed an inverse association with the unhealthy lifestyle patterns. In the same vein, greater street connectivity was associated with decreased screen time. ConclusionThis comprehensive examination of multiple urban exposures indicates that residing in walkable environments and in close proximity to roads in densely-populated areas may not be advantageous for children EBRBs, while residing in neighborhoods with higher street connectivity appears to supposedly be beneficial.

The influence of the urban model on civic involvement and public time. A study applied to the commuting population of the Greater Metropolitan Area of San José, Costa Rica

A major problem for policymakers is to ensure that levels of citizen participation reflect the society in its diversity, but they must also ensure that those citizens who want to get involved have the means to do so. Despite empirical evidence of the role of urban planning in health, well-being, and livability, studies have not delved into the implications of how low-density sprawled urban forms influence civic involvement. This paper adds new evidence regarding the significance of urban form, built environment characteristics and more in general city planning, as intermediary factors between public and private life connected to civic engagement and public space use. Based on surveys and geographic data from the Greater Metropolitan Area of San José, in Costa Rica, the article investigates how the results of citizen participation change depending on whether residents are from a compact or dispersed study area, relating to urban rhythms and mobility metrics. Findings suggest that inhabitants of group A (lower-density neighborhoods) differ significantly from group B (compact-city areas) in four variables: means of mobility, commuting time, public space use, and civic activism, while having similar sociodemographic composition. Compared with residents of group A, group B report higher levels of use and knowledge of public spaces and civic participation. These two aspects constitute, the Urban Civic Participation Index, which, related to self-reported free time, forms what we define as Public Time. The main characteristics of the compact city (higher population and building density, high street connectivity, grid presence and proximity of services, mixed land use) were found to be positively related to the outcomes of accessibility to public space and community participation. In contrast, there are no significant differences in the availability of free time between the two groups. This study, along with others on the compact city, shows that there are other reasons to reduce daily commuting distances in cities and the need of urban time policies to redesign urban society's temporal dimension besides the known environmental impacts. It also raises the question of how low urban density affects people's time and disposition to participate in public life.

Does the built environment influence location- and trip-based sedentary behaviors? Evidence from a GPS-based activity space approach of neighborhood effects on older adults

ObjectiveEvidence on the influence of built environments on sedentary behaviors remains unclear and is often contradictory. The main limitations encompass the use of self-reported proxies of sedentary time (ST), the scarce consideration of the plurality of sedentary behaviors, and environmental exposures limited to the residential neighborhood. We investigated the relationships between GPS-based activity space measures of environmental exposures and accelerometer-based ST measured in total, at the place of residence, at all locations, and during trips. MethodsThis study is part of the CURHA project, based on 471 older adults residing in Luxembourg, who wore a GPS receiver and a tri-axial accelerometer during 7 days. Daily ST was computed in total, at the residence, at all locations and during trips. Environmental exposures included exposure to green spaces, walking, biking, and motorized transportation infrastructures. Associations between environments and ST were examined using linear and negative binomial mixed models, adjusted for demographics, self-rated health, residential self-selection, weather conditions and wear time. ResultsParticipants accumulated, on average, 8 h and 14 min of ST per day excluding sleep time. ST spent at locations accounted for 83 % of the total ST. ST spent at the residence accounted for 87 % of the location-based ST and 71 % of the total ST. Trip-based ST represents 13 % of total ST, and 4 % remained unclassified. Higher street connectivity was negatively associated with total ST, while the density of parking areas correlated positively with total and location-based ST. Stronger associations were observed for sedentary bouts (uninterrupted ST over 20 and 30 min). ConclusionImproving street connectivity and controlling the construction of new parking, while avoiding the spatial segregation of populations with limited access to public transport, may contribute to limit ST. Such urban planning interventions may be especially efficient in limiting the harmful uninterrupted bouts of ST among older adults.

Urban Form Metrics for Promoting Walking: Street Layouts and Destinations.

There is evidence that higher street connectivity and availability of destinations can support walking behavior. However, the availability of data and comparability between previous studies remain a challenge. Based on a large Canadian adult sample, this study examined the associations between street layout and walking behaviors and explored whether objectively measured destinations may mediate these relationships. This study used data from 12,378 adults from Alberta's Tomorrow Project (ATP), a prospective cohort study conducted in Alberta, Canada. Walking behaviors were obtained by questionnaires. Street layout and destination measures were calculated objectively. Covariate-adjusted multivariate linear models estimated the associations between the space syntax street integration and duration of transport and leisure walking. The mediation effects of the availability of destinations in these associations were tested by the structural equation modelling. Street integration was significantly positively associated with transportation walking (b=0.01, 95% CI 0.00, 0.01, p = 0.01) (indirect effect). The availability of destinations partially mediated this association. Using the natural movement theory in space syntax, our study provides insights into using street layouts as a primary measure to (re)design the built environment to support walking.

Measuring the Built Environment in Studies of Child Health—A Meta-Narrative Review of Associations

Although the built environment (BE) is important for children’s health, there is little consensus about which features are most important due to differences in measurement and outcomes across disciplines. This meta-narrative review was undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers to summarise ways in which the BE is measured, and how this links to children’s health. A structured search of four databases across the relevant disciplines retrieved 108 relevant references. The most commonly addressed health-related outcomes were active travel, physical activity and play, and obesity. Many studies used objective (GIS and street audits) or standardised subjective (perceived) measurements of the BE. However, there was a wide variety, and sometimes inconsistency, in their definition and use. There were clear associations between the BE and children’s health. Objective physical activity and self-reported active travel, or obesity, were positively associated with higher street connectivity or walkability measures, while self-reported physical activity and play had the strongest association with reduced street connectivity, indicated by quieter, one-way streets. Despite the high heterogeneity found in BE measures and health outcomes, the meta-narrative approach enabled us to identify ten BE categories that are likely to support children’s health and be protective against some non-communicable disease risk factors. Future research should implement consistent BE measures to ensure key features are explored. A systems approach will be particularly relevant for addressing place-based health inequalities, given potential unintended health consequences of making changes to the BE.

1185The association between neighbourhood built environment and health-related fitness: A systematic review

Abstract Background Few studies have investigated potential links between the built environment and health-related fitness, even though there is some evidence linking neighbourhood built environments to physical activity behaviors and chronic health conditions. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines eight databases were searched from inception to August 2020 using a combination of built environment and health-related fitness terms. Inclusion criteria was limited to quantitative studies that sampled of adults aged 18 years or older with no physical disabilities or health issues that may impact health-related fitness. Results Of the 26,219 citations identified within our comprehensive search, 25 studies met eligibility and underwent data extraction and quality assessment. Objectively measured built environment characteristics (e.g., improved sidewalks, higher street connectivity, older neighbourhoods, higher residential density, and higher land use mix) were associated with increased flexibility, cardiorespiratory fitness, grip strength, and body composition. Moreover, perceptions of neighbourhood features such as higher neighbourhood walkability, greater park access and quality, and lower neighbourhood crime, were associated with increased perceived cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, flexibility, and overall fitness. However, many of these findings were from cross-sectional studies where adjustment for key confounders varied. Results also varied by sex in the small number of studies that provided sex-specific stratifications. Conclusions This project may help elucidate the pathway between the built environment and health-related fitness. Key messages Neighbourhood built environment features are associated with aspects of health-related fitness.

The activity space-based segregation of migrants in suburban Shanghai

The socio-spatial segregation experienced by migrants has attracted considerable attention and an increasing number of studies have examined segregation in migrants’ daily activity space recently. However, research on activity diversity and spatial contact between local residents and migrants has been limited. This paper fills this knowledge gap by investigating the differences in the extensity, intensity, diversity and exclusivity of activity spaces among local residents, urban migrants and rural migrants based on their routine activities in suburban Shanghai, China. It finds that rural migrants have low daily mobility and are physically constrained, and there is spatial sorting of activity locations among different social groups. Neighborhood environment significantly influences activity space-based segregation: People who live in neighborhoods with higher POI density and better access to commercial establishments and public spaces have small activity spaces, while those who live in neighborhoods with mixed land use, better access to public transit, and higher street connectivity have more diverse activity participation. Neighborhoods with better public spaces and a lower land use mix promote shared activity spaces. This study uncovers the segregation suffered by migrants by examining the usage of urban space and spatial interactions among social groups, enhancing our understanding of activity space-based segregation in developing countries.

The Associations of Built Environment with Older People Recreational Walking and Physical Activity in a Chinese Small-Scale City of Yiwu.

Physical activity would bring in plenty of health benefits, especially recreational physical activity (RPA). Previous studies have suggested that built environment would affect older people’s recreational walking (RW) and RPA, but how the effects exist in a small-scale Chinese city remains unclear. Two hundred and fifty-two older participants were recruited in the city of Yiwu using cross-sectional survey of random samples in 2019. RW and RPA level of participants and perceived scores of built environments were collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale, respectively. Linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association of built environment with older people’s RW and RPA. The results showed that two main factors affecting older people’s RW and RPA were residential density and aesthetics. Additionally, access to services was related to RW, and street connectivity was correlated with RPA. The associations of RW with built environment varied slightly with demographic variables included in the regression model. All the results suggested that lower residential density, better aesthetics environment, and higher street connectivity would motivate older people to engage more in RW and RPA. The better access to services encourages only RW, not RPA, in older people. These findings would be helpful for policy decision makers in the urban construction process in Yiwu. More studies are needed to enlarge the scientific evidence base about small-scale cities in China.

Estimating pedestrian volume using Street View images: A large-scale validation test

Pedestrian volume is an important indicator of urban walkability and vitality. Hence, information on pedestrian volumes of different streets is indispensable for creating healthy, pedestrian-oriented cities. Pedestrian volume data have traditionally been collected through field observations, which has many methodological limitations, e.g. time-consuming, labor-intensive, and inefficient.Assessing pedestrian volume automatically from Street View images (SVIs) with machine learning techniques can overcome such limitations because this approach offers a wide geographic reach and consistent image acquisition. Nevertheless, this new method has not been rigorously validated, and its accuracy remains unclear.In this study, we conducted a large-scale validation test by comparing pedestrian volume extracted from SVIs with the results from field observations for more than 700 street segments in Tianjin, China. A total of 4507 sampling points along these street segments were used to collect SVIs.The results demonstrated that using SVIs with machine learning techniques is a promising method for estimating pedestrian volumes with a large geographic reach. Automated pedestrian volume detection could achieve reasonable (Cronbach's alpha ≥0.70) or good (Cronbach's alpha ≥0.80) levels of accuracy. It is worth noting that various factors of SVIs and street segments may affect the accuracy. SVIs with higher image quality, larger image size, and collection times closer to the targeted periods produced more accurate results. The automated method also worked better in areas with high pedestrian volume and high street connectivity.

Urban Design of On-Street Stops and Road Environments: A Conceptual Framework

Transit stops should be situated where they are convenient to use and the safety of passengers and alternative road users has been taken into consideration. A review of the literature has indicated that there are some important factors that should be taken into consideration at the design and planning stage. These factors have been found to have the ability to influence the location of a transit stop and transit shelter. The underlying focus of this paper is that on-street stops and their connecting roads are viewed as a holistic environment, instead of an ordinary place or location for transit modes to make a stop. This environment includes elements such as Accessibility through street connectivity, street, and road design, and transit stops design. This paper develops a conceptual model that links the various variables together, highlighting how one affects the other and their impact on the overall ability to produce a good passenger experience, which is the fundamental goal of any successful on-street stop design. This paper concludes that transit stops are easier to locate when there is high street connectivity which determines to a large extent how transit passengers gain access to transit service. Also, proper design and configuration of on-street stops and connecting roads lead to increased safety, thereby leading to increased ridership and revenue and also impact how everyone on the street interacts with the transit system.

Associations of Neighborhood Walkability with Sedentary Time in Nigerian Older Adults.

Previous studies have investigated the potential role of neighborhood walkability in reducing sedentary behavior. However, the majority of this research has been conducted in adults and Western developed countries. The purpose of the present study was to examine associations of neighborhood environmental attributes with sedentary time among older adults in Nigeria. Data from 353 randomly-selected community-dwelling older adults (60 years and above) in Maiduguri, Nigeria were analyzed. Perceived attributes of neighborhood environments and self-reported sedentary time were assessed using Nigerian-validated and reliable measures. Outcomes were weekly minutes of total sedentary time, minutes of sitting on a typical weekday, and minutes of sitting on a typical weekend day. In multivariate regression analyses, higher walkability index, proximity to destinations, access to services, traffic safety, and safety from crime were associated with less total sedentary time and sedentary time on both a weekday and a weekend day. Moderation analysis showed that only in men was higher walking infrastructure and safety found to be associated with less sedentary time, and higher street connectivity was associated with more sedentary time. The findings suggest that improving neighborhood walkability may be a mechanism for reducing sedentary time among older adults in Nigeria.

Associations of neighborhood environmental attributes with adults' objectively-assessed sedentary time: IPEN adult multi-country study

Neighborhood environmental attributes have been found to be associated with residents' time spent walking and in physical activity, in studies from single countries and in multiple-country investigations. There are, however, mixed findings on such environmental relationships with sedentary (sitting) time, which primarily have used evidence derived from single-country investigations with self-reported behavioral outcome measures. We examined potential relationships of neighborhood environmental attributes with objectively-assessed sedentary time using data from 5712 adults recruited from higher and lower socio-economic status neighborhoods in 12 sites in 10 countries, between 2002 and 2011. Ten perceived neighborhood attributes, derived from an internationally-validated scale, were assessed by questionnaire. Sedentary time was derived from hip-worn accelerometer data. Associations of individual environmental attributes and a composite environmental index with sedentary time were estimated using generalized additive mixed models. In fully adjusted models, higher street connectivity was significantly related to lower sedentary time. Residential density, pedestrian infrastructure and safety, and lack of barriers to walking were related to higher sedentary time. Aesthetics and safety from crime were related to less sedentary time in women only. The predicted difference in sedentary time between those with the minimum versus maximum composite environmental index values was 71 min/day. Overall, certain built environment attributes, including street connectivity, land use mix and aesthetics were found to be related to sedentary behavior in both expected and unexpected directions. Further research using context-specific measures of sedentary time is required to improve understanding of the potential role of built environment characteristics as influences on adults' sedentary behavior.

What are the associations between neighbourhood walkability and sedentary time in New Zealand adults? The URBAN cross-sectional study

ObjectivesWe estimated associations between objectively determined neighbourhood ‘walkability’ attributes and accelerometer-derived sedentary time (ST) by sex, city or type of day.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingThe URBAN (Understanding the Relationship between Activity and...

A Longitudinal Analysis of the Influence of the Neighborhood Environment on Recreational Walking within the Neighborhood: Results from RESIDE.

Background:There is limited longitudinal evidence confirming the role of neighborhood environment attributes in encouraging people to walk more or if active people simply choose to live in activity-friendly neighborhoods. Natural experiments of policy changes to create more walkable communities provide stronger evidence for a causal effect of neighborhood environments on residents’ walking.Objectives:We aimed to investigate longitudinal associations between objective and perceived neighborhood environment measures and neighborhood recreational walking.Methods:We analyzed longitudinal data collected over 8 yr (four surveys) from the RESIDential Environments (RESIDE) Study (Perth, Australia, 2003–2012). At each time point, participants reported the frequency and total minutes of recreational walking/week within their neighborhood and neighborhood environment perceptions. Objective measures of the neighborhood environment were generated using a Geographic Information System (GIS).Results:Local recreational walking was influenced by objectively measured access to a medium-/large-size park, beach access, and higher street connectivity, which was reduced when adjusted for neighborhood perceptions. In adjusted models, positive perceptions of access to a park and beach, higher street connectivity, neighborhood esthetics, and safety from crime were independent determinants of increased neighborhood recreational walking. Local recreational walking increased by 9 min/wk (12% increase in frequency) for each additional perceived neighborhood attribute present.Conclusions:Our findings provide urban planners and policy makers with stronger causal evidence of the positive impact of well-connected neighborhoods and access to local parks of varying sizes on local residents’ recreational walking and health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP823

Prospective Associations of Local Destinations and Routes With Middle-to-Older Aged Adults’ Walking

To examine prospective associations of perceived attributes of local destinations and routes with middle-to-older aged adults' 4-year changes in walking for transport (WT) and walking for recreation (WR). Data were collected from adults aged 50-64 years old, living in Adelaide, Australia. Participants (N = 454) reported weekly frequency of WT and WR at baseline (2003-2004) and follow-up (2007-2008). Attributes of local destinations and routes were based on self-reported measures at baseline and included: proximity to utilitarian and recreational destinations, the number of such destinations within 10 and 11-20 min walk from home, street connectivity, and walking paths. Generalized additive mixed models were used to examine the associations of perceived destination and route attributes with changes in frequency of WT and WR. Higher levels of perceived proximity to utilitarian destinations, reporting a larger number of utilitarian destinations within 10 min walk from home and higher street connectivity were associated with more positive changes in frequency of WT. Higher levels of perceived proximity to recreational destinations and better walking paths were associated with more positive changes in frequency of WR. No curvilinear relationships were observed and baseline frequency of walking did not moderate the associations. Proximity of utilitarian and recreational destinations, well-connected streets, and better walking paths can be supportive of long-term participation in walking among middle-to-older aged adults. Environmental and policy initiatives focusing on such destination and route attributes have the potential to support residents' aging in place.

Obesity and Urban Form: Evidence from London

This paper examines the association between urban form and obesity rates at the neighbourhood level. Using data from London, UK in a regression and mediation analysis framework, we find that high population density, more diverse land use, better public transport access and higher street connectivity are all associated with lower obesity rates after controlling for a range of possible confounders such as income, unemployment, education and age. These findings corroborate and extend the existing empirical evidence on the crucial role of neighbourhood factors, in particular built environment factors, in counteracting rising obesity levels in large cities and metropolitan areas.

Abstract B65: Development of neighborhood “obesogenic factors” and its applicability to obesity and cancer studies in diverse populations: The Multiethnic Cohort Study

Abstract Background: Although social and built environment attributes are associated with obesity, limited research has characterized their underlying relationships and differential effects across race/ethnicity. Our study developed composite measures of the neighborhood obesogenic environment for California and investigated their associations with obesity and breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer risk within the Multiethnic Cohort Study (MEC). Methods: Principal component factor analysis (PCFA) was conducted to characterize block group-level obesogenic environments in California. Nine neighborhood attributes derived from geospatial data were selected based on their potential to contribute to obesity: population density, traffic density, commuting by car/motorcycle, numbers of businesses, parks, recreational facilities, restaurants, retail food outlets, and street connectivity. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations between neighborhood obesogenic factors and obesity at baseline by sex and race/ethnicity (African American (AA), Japanese, Latino and White) in the California component of the MEC (n=102,906; obese=24,701). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine associations between these neighborhood obesogenic factors at baseline and risk of breast (n=48,247; cases=2,341), colorectal (n=81,187, cases=1,973), and prostate (n=41,565; cases=4,650) cancers in the California MEC, overall and stratified by race/ethnicity. Results: PCFA identified four neighborhood obesogenic factors: 1) “urban environment” (high population density, high street connectivity, low commuting by car/motorcycle, high traffic density); 2) “mixed land use” (high number of recreational facilities and businesses); 3) “unhealthy food outlets” (high ratios of unhealthy to healthy for restaurants, and for retail food outlets); 4) “parks” (any parks). For males, less urban environments among AAs and Whites; lower mixed land use among Latinos; and any parks among AAs were associated with increased odds of obesity. For females, more unhealthy food outlets among Whites was associated with increased odds of obesity. For breast cancer, more unhealthy food outlets for all racial/ethnic groups combined and lower mixed land use in Latinos were associated with increased risk of disease. For colorectal cancer, some unhealthy food outlets for all groups combined, higher mixed land use in Japanese males, no parks in AA males, and lower mixed land use in White females were associated with increased risk of disease. For prostate cancer, higher mixed land use in Whites was associated with increased risk of disease and more unhealthy food outlets in AAs was associated with increased risk of aggressive disease. Conclusion: The associations between the four neighborhood obesogenic factors with obesity and cancer risk varied across sex and race/ethnicity, demonstrating the complex relationships involved in cancer disparities. Citation Format: Salma Shariff-Marco, Li Tao, Juan Yang, Alison Canchola, Christina Clarke, Yurii Shvetsov, Shannon Conroy, Song-Yi Park, Andrew Hertz, Cheryl Albright, Laurence Kolonel, Kristine Monroe, Loic Le Marchand, Lynne Wilkens, Scarlett Lin Gomez, Iona Cheng. Development of neighborhood “obesogenic factors” and its applicability to obesity and cancer studies in diverse populations: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B65.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Environment and Risk of Obesity in the US

Obesity is a fast-growing global health crisis and the epidemic is about to get worse. Environment has been shown to influence physical activity and people’s body weight. Utilizing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2004-2010 waves of the continuous obesity data, this study conducted longitudinal analyses to examine neighborhood built environment and obesity risk controlling for the effects of socio-demographic characteristics. This study presents a comprehensive effort to understand the relationship between the environment and physical inactivity and obesity across the entire contiguous US. When constructing measures of the built environment, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used to calculate street connectivity, walk score and food environment. In addition to the built environment, the natural environment, which was represented by the annual number of extreme weather events from 2004-2010, was taken into account in explaining variation of physical inactivity and obesity across the contiguous US. Results show that higher street connectivity and walk score are related to lower physical inactivity and obesity rates, while the ratio of fast-food restaurants and number of extreme weather events are positively related to physical inactivity and obesity. The results are believed to provide policy-makers and planners with useful insights into the dynamics between the environment and obesity epidemic. Further, the significant effects of extreme weather invite more studies to investigate the relationship between the natural environment and obesity.

Associations of Perceived and Objectively Measured Neighborhood Environmental Attributes With Leisure-Time Sitting for Transport.

This study examined associations of perceived and objectively measured neighborhood environmental attributes with leisure-time sitting for transport among middle-to-older aged Japanese adults. Data were collected using a postal survey of 998 adults aged 40 to 69 years. Generalized linear modeling with a gamma distribution and a log link was used to examine associations of perceived (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Environmental module) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-derived built environment attributes with self-reported leisure-time sitting for transport. Mean leisure-time sitting time for transport was 20.4 min/day. After adjusting for potential confounders, perceived higher residential density, GIS-measured higher population density, better access to destinations, better access to public transport, longer sidewalk length, and higher street connectivity, were associated significantly with lower sitting time for transport. Residents living in neighborhoods with attributes previously found to be associated with more walking tended to spend less time sitting for transport during leisure-time. The health benefits of walkability-related attributes may accrue not only through increased physical activity, but also through less sedentary time.