Impact of Neighborhood Built Environments on Shopping Travel Modes in Shanghai, China

Walking is one of the most widely used means of transport. Neighborhood built environments have a direct influence on individuals’ daily commuting, recreational travel patterns, and shopping travel behavior. In Chinese cities, shopping activities are among the most frequent reasons for daily travel. Yet, research on the impact of neighborhood built environments on people’s shopping travel activities in high-density cities is limited. To fill this research gap, this study investigates how neighborhood built environments might affect pedestrians’ shopping travel activities in Shanghai, China. The data, which includes shopping travel patterns, perceived environmental characteristics, and individual socioeconomic status, were collected from a survey of 21 randomly selected neighborhoods in Shanghai in 2011. In total, data from 2,838 samples (participants) were collected. Multinomial logistic regression was used to investigate how neighborhood built environments affect residents’ choice of travel mode for shopping, that is, the likelihood of taking transit, driving, or biking vs. walking. Results showed that nearly half of people surveyed (43.3%) used walking as their primary shopping mode. Road network density, presence of primary schools, and average sidewalk width were positively correlated with the likelihood of using walking as the primary shopping mode. Gender, age, and car ownership were also significant in the model.

Segmentation, Classification, and Determinants of In-Store Shopping Activity and Travel Behaviour in the Digitalisation Era: The Context of a Developing Country

The influence of digital technologies in the current era has substantially affected the way individuals engage with in-store shopping activities and travels. To prepare a transport policy with sustainable orientations, it is important to investigate factors that determine in-store activity-travel patterns. In particular, knowledge about how in-store activities and travels interact with other forms of activities and travels should be updated, since the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) may be substantial to create new patterns of activity and travel. It is believed that shopping travel and activity behaviours may indicate the increase or decrease of physical travels, which is crucial for carbon emission measures in transportation sector. While numerous studies about this issue have been recently carried out based on the context of developed countries, little is known for the context of developing countries. To offer a better understanding of the nature of in-store shopping travels and activities in the digitalisation era, a household survey was conducted in Bandung, Indonesia. This survey tends to acquire data from respondents as a representation of developing countries on their shopping behaviour, travel characteristics, and spatial attributes that represent the conditions of their built environment. The results from the survey show that individuals in a developing country are still having interest in in-store grocery shopping even though their daily life has a close connection with digital life. The results of the analysis show that grocery shoppers in a developing country simultaneously consider shopping activity, other activities, modes of transport, and shopping expenses. This manifests in the form of trip-chaining activities and affects decisions on the modes of transport used. The results indicate a significant portion of trip frequency for in-store shopping travel with motorised modes. Since motorised modes are the main contribution for carbon emission production in transportation sector, the results of this study are critical for developing transport demand measures and setting relevant policy schemes to improve the sustainability of transportation system, especially for the context of developing countries.

Does urban form influence grocery shopping frequency? A study from Seattle, Washington, USA

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to ascertain how elements of the built environment may or may not influence the frequency of grocery shopping. Design/methodology/approach Using data from the 2009 Seattle Obesity Study, the research investigated the effect of the urban built environment on grocery shopping travel frequency in the Seattle-King County area. Binary and ordered logit models served to estimate the impact of individual characteristics and built environments on grocery shopping travel frequency. Findings The results showed that the respondents’ attitude towards food, travel mode, and the network distance between homes and stores exerted the strongest influence on the travel frequency while urban form variables only had a modest influence. The study showed that frequent shoppers were more likely to use alternative transportation modes and shopped closer to their homes and infrequent shoppers tended to drive longer distances to their stores and spent more time and money per visit. Practical implications This research has implications for urban planners and policy makers as well as grocery retailers, as the seemingly disparate groups both have an interest in food shopping frequency. Originality/value Few studies in the planning or retail literature investigate the influence of the urban built environment and the insights from the planning field. This study uses GIS and a planning framework to provide information that is relevant for grocery retailers and those invested in food distribution.