The Influence of Built Environment onWalking Behavior: Measurement Issues, Theoretical Considerations, Modeling Methodologies and Chinese Empirical Studies - Space-Time Integration in Geography and GIScience - page 61

Longitudinal designs exploring causal relationships include two kinds of per-
spectives or efforts. (1) Examination of the changes in behavior before and after an
effort to change human behavior beliefs: “Intervention” studies of physical activity
typically take this line of methodology, but it is difficult to say how long this
behavior change could last (Sallis et al. 2006 ). (2) Examination of the changes in
behavior before and after a change in the built environment: Urban planning and
transport policy studies focus on this method. It is feasible only if there is variation
in the environmental conditions detailed by respondents. A key step involves
conducting a longitudinal before-and-after survey using the same samples that
experienced the changes while working on the assumption that individual attitudes
towards travel remain stable. However, physical changes in the built environment
are difficult, especially in Western developed cities. In contrast, Chinese cities
are experiencing rapid urban growth with built environment changes holding large
potential. This will be illustrated in Sect. 5.5 .

5.4.3 A Combination of the Discrete Choice Model

and the Theory of Planned Behavior

This study proposes a conceptual model (Fig. 5.1 ). A discrete choice model is
calibrated from travel survey data with objective and subjective environmental
measures employed jointly. The TPB is used to guide and normalize the process
of constructing the subjective measures. A TPB questionnaire is designed to
identify key behavioral, normative and control beliefs affecting behaviors equal to
perception, cognition and preference. The discrete choice model forecasts the built
environment's influence on walking behavior, with more attention paid to the rea-
sons behind the behavior and the underlying preferences of residents. While the
TPB is used to construct the perception or cognition process, it can also predict the
behavior via the inherent structural equation models between its constructs.
A longitudinal survey of the same respondents that experienced a change in built
environment is encouraged. Through the “before” measurements, the relationship

Fig. 5.1 A conceptual model combining discrete choice model and TPB