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The Impact of the Built Environment on Bicycle Commuting: Evidence from Beijing

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  • Pengjun Zhao

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to existing literature on the effects of the built environment on bicycle commuting, examining the case of Beijing. A group of city-wide random samples is analysed. The analysis shows that bicycle commuting is significantly associated with some features of the built environment when many demographic and socioeconomic factors are taken into account. Higher destination accessibility, a higher number of exclusive bicycle lanes, a mixed environment and greater connectivity between local streets tend to increase the use of the bicycle. These effects differ across gender, age and income groups. However, residential density has no significant effects on the use of a bicycle for commuting, while higher levels of public transit services tends to decrease rather than increase bicycle commuting. The results imply that the drastic changes in the built environment are a major reason for the demise of ‘the kingdom of bicycles’ in China.

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  • Pengjun Zhao, 2014. "The Impact of the Built Environment on Bicycle Commuting: Evidence from Beijing," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(5), pages 1019-1037, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:51:y:2014:i:5:p:1019-1037
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098013494423
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    2. Gabriel M. Ahfeldt & Elisabetta Pietrostefani, 2017. "The Compact City in Empirical Research: A Quantitative Literature Review," SERC Discussion Papers 0215, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    3. Yu Song & Guofan Shao & Xiaodong Song & Yong Liu & Lei Pan & Hong Ye, 2017. "The Relationships between Urban Form and Urban Commuting: An Empirical Study in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-17, July.
    4. Zhao, Chunli & Nielsen, Thomas Alexander Sick & Olafsson, Anton Stahl & Carstensen, Trine Agervig & Meng, Xiaoying, 2018. "Urban form, demographic and socio-economic correlates of walking, cycling, and e-biking: Evidence from eight neighborhoods in Beijing," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 102-112.
    5. Ahfeldt, Gabriel M. & Pietrostefani, Elisabetta, 2017. "The compact city in empirical research: A quantitative literature review," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 83638, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Doina Olaru & Simon Moncrieff & Gary McCarney & Yuchao Sun & Tristan Reed & Cate Pattison & Brett Smith & Sharon Biermann, 2019. "Place vs. Node Transit: Planning Policies Revisited," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-14, January.
    7. Han, Heesup & Meng, Bo & Kim, Wansoo, 2017. "Bike-traveling as a growing phenomenon: Role of attributes, value, satisfaction, desire, and gender in developing loyalty," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 91-103.
    8. Mao, Zidan & Ettema, Dick & Dijst, Martin, 2016. "Commuting trip satisfaction in Beijing: Exploring the influence of multimodal behavior and modal flexibility," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 592-603.
    9. Yibin Ao & Chuan Chen & Dujuan Yang & Yan Wang, 2018. "Relationship between Rural Built Environment and Household Vehicle Ownership: An Empirical Analysis in Rural Sichuan, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-18, May.
    10. Rodriguez-Valencia, Alvaro & Rosas-Satizábal, Daniel & Gordo, Daniel & Ochoa, Andrés, 2019. "Impact of household proximity to the cycling network on bicycle ridership: The case of Bogotá," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1-1.
    11. Lin, Jen-Jia & Wei, Yi-Hsuan, 2018. "Assessing area-wide bikeability: A grey analytic network process," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 381-396.
    12. Zhao, Pengjun & Li, Shengxiao, 2017. "Bicycle-metro integration in a growing city: The determinants of cycling as a transfer mode in metro station areas in Beijing," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 46-60.

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