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Exploring Causal Effects of Neighborhood Type on Walking Behavior Using Stratification on the Propensity Score

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  • Xinyu (Jason) Cao

    (Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, 301, 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA)

Abstract

The causality issue has become one of the key questions in the debate over the relationship between the built environment and travel behavior. To ascertain whether changes to the built environment are a cost-effective way to change travel behavior, it is necessary to determine the magnitude of the effect. Further, it is important to understand whether the observed influence of the built environment on travel behavior diminishes substantially once we control for self-selection. Using 1553 residents living in four traditional and four suburban neighborhoods in Northern California, this study explores the causal effect of neighborhood type on walking behavior and the relationship between this effect and the observed influence of neighborhood type on walking behavior. Specifically, propensity score stratification, which has been widely used to reduce selection bias, was applied. The results showed that, on average, the causal influences of neighborhood type are likely to be overstated by 64% for utilitarian walking frequency and 16% for recreational walking frequency, if residential self-selection is not controlled for. However, neighborhood type still plays a more important role in affecting walking behavior than does self-selection. This study also offers a basic tutorial for the propensity score stratification approach and discusses its strengths and weaknesses for applications in the field of land use and travel behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinyu (Jason) Cao, 2010. "Exploring Causal Effects of Neighborhood Type on Walking Behavior Using Stratification on the Propensity Score," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(2), pages 487-504, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:42:y:2010:i:2:p:487-504
    DOI: 10.1068/a4269
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    Cited by:

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    5. Zuopeng Xiao & James H. Lenzer & Yanwei Chai, 2017. "Examining The Uneven Distribution Of Household Travel Carbon Emissions Within And Across Neighborhoods: The Case Of Beijing," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(3), pages 487-506, June.
    6. Lin, Tao & Wang, Donggen & Guan, Xiaodong, 2017. "The built environment, travel attitude, and travel behavior: Residential self-selection or residential determination?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 111-122.
    7. Guimpert, Ignacio & Hurtubia, Ricardo, 2018. "Measuring, understanding and modelling the Walking Neighborhood as a function of built environment and socioeconomic variables," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 32-44.
    8. Phani Kumar, P. & Ravi Sekhar, Ch. & Parida, Manoranjan, 2018. "Residential dissonance in TOD neighborhoods," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 166-177.
    9. Xinyu Cao & Patricia L. Mokhtarian, 2012. "The connections among accessibility, self- selection and walking behaviour: a case study of Northern California residents," Chapters, in: Karst T. Geurs & Kevin J. Krizek & Aura Reggiani (ed.), Accessibility Analysis and Transport Planning, chapter 5, pages 73-95, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    10. Tae-Hyoung Tommy Gim, 2018. "An Analysis of the Relationship between Land Use and Weekend Travel: Focusing on the Internal Capture of Trips," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-17, February.
    11. Etminani-Ghasrodashti, Roya & Ardeshiri, Mahyar, 2016. "The impacts of built environment on home-based work and non-work trips: An empirical study from Iran," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 196-207.
    12. Liang Ma & Corinne Mulley & Wen Liu, 2017. "Social marketing and the built environment: What matters for travel behaviour change?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 44(5), pages 1147-1167, September.
    13. Hong, Jinhyun, 2016. "How does the seasonality influence utilitarian walking behaviour in different urbanization settings in Scotland?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 143-150.
    14. Cho, Gi-Hyoug & RodrĂ­guez, Daniel A., 2014. "The influence of residential dissonance on physical activity and walking: evidence from the Montgomery County, MD, and Twin Cities, MN, areas," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 259-267.
    15. Dong, Hongwei, 2017. "Rail-transit-induced gentrification and the affordability paradox of TOD," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 1-10.
    16. Timothy F. Ledoux & Igor Vojnovic & June Manning Thomas & Kameshwari Pothukuchi, 2017. "Standing in the Shadows of Obesity: The Local Food Environment and Obesity in Detroit," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(5), pages 605-624, October.
    17. Arefeh Nasri & Carlos Carrion & Lei Zhang & Babak Baghaei, 2020. "Using propensity score matching technique to address self-selection in transit-oriented development (TOD) areas," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 359-371, February.
    18. Meng Zhou & Donggen Wang, 2019. "Investigating inter-generational changes in activity-travel behavior: a disaggregate approach," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(5), pages 1643-1687, October.
    19. Lee, Jae Seung & Christopher Zegras, P. & Ben-Joseph, Eran & Park, Sungjin, 2014. "Does urban living influence baby boomers’ travel behavior?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 21-29.

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