Understanding associations between neighbourhood-environment perceptions and walking behaviour in low-tier Chinese cities

Background: Some studies indicate that analyses of neighbourhood environment perceptions and walking behaviour in relation to western models are ineffective or counterproductive in Chinese cities, leading to calls for understanding walking behaviour more through the lens of specific contexts, such as how people in particular cultures and locations live, work and play differently. We aim to build on empirical and theoretical knowledge as to how built environment characteristics affect walking behaviour in low-tier Chinese cities. Methods: A mixed-methods field-work approach was employed by this study in Suihua (Heilongjiang Province, China) including an adapted version of the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale questionnaire (n = 187), on-site observation and face-to-face interviews. Multiple linear regression was used to analyse the associations of walking duration with sociodemographic characteristics, walking motivations and neighbourhood environmental attributes across three age groups. Interviews and observations were designed to further explore the walking associations through a local culture lens. Results and conclusion: Our results found that walking duration was positively associated with recreational motivation, but negatively associated with commercial recreational amenities. The age-related associations of walking with the same amenities differed (e.g., walking to Internet bars was negatively associated with middle-aged adults’ walking duration but positively associated with younger adults). The findings from this study can inform planning policies relating to the design of walkable neighbourhoods in low-tier Chinese cities including the consideration of age difference, the effect of weather variables, differing walking motivations, considerations around amenities for recreational walking (e.g., going to parks) and high-consumption recreational amenities (e.g., karaoke bars). It suggests that walking as a social behaviour requires cultural tailoring and should be re-examined in different local and cultural contexts.