@article{ref1,
title="Accessibility and connectivity in physical activity studies: the impact of missing pedestrian data",
journal="Preventive medicine",
year="2008",
author="Chin, Gary K. W. and Van Niel, Kimberly P. and Giles-Corti, Billie and Knuiman, Matthew",
volume="46",
number="1",
pages="41-45",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: One important characteristic in physical activity research into the built environment is network connectivity, usually calculated using street networks. However, a true pedestrian network may have very different connectivity than a street network. This study, conducted in 2004, examines the difference in walkability analyses when street networks versus pedestrian networks are used for four metropolitan suburbs in Perth, Western Australia. METHODS: A street network of Perth was used to represent the current standard of data for walkability analyses. Aerial photography from 2003 was used to create a pedestrian network, which incorporated pedestrian footpaths into the street network. The street and pedestrian networks were compared using three measures of connectivity: Pedsheds, link node ratio and pedestrian route directness. RESULTS: A comparison of the results using street versus pedestrian networks showed very different outcomes for conventional neighbourhood designs. Connectivity measures for conventional neighbourhoods improved up to 120% with the addition of pedestrian networks, although traditional neighbourhoods still had slightly better connectivity values overall. CONCLUSION: The true pedestrian network increases the connectivity of a neighbourhood and may have significant impact on these measures, especially in neighbourhoods with conventional street designs. It is critical that future studies incorporate pedestrian networks into their analyses.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0091-7435",
doi="10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.08.004",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.08.004"
}