Children’s journeys to school: the role of the built environment in promoting active travel behaviours

Michail, Nafsika (2024) Children’s journeys to school: the role of the built environment in promoting active travel behaviours. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University.

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Abstract

Active school travel (AST) can be an effective strategy to promote physical activity and shape healthy behaviours among children. Despite its health benefits, AST rates are in decline both in the UK and globally. While there are numerous studies on children’s travel behaviours, children’s experiences of the built environmental (BE) barriers and facilitators of AST behaviour remain elusive. Hence, this study aims to better understand the role of the BE in children’s AST behaviour with a long-term vision of contributing to the development of physically and socially active, healthy communities. Underpinned by the socio-ecological model, this study adopts a child-centred approach and a mixed-methods case study design, carried out with students (n=197) aged 9-10 years in five primary schools located in four different neighbourhoods in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Participatory mapping activities, including a whole-class activity on children’s journey experiences to school and map-based focus groups, were utilised to evaluate children’s environmental perceptions, while field surveys and space syntax modelling were used to objectively assess the environmental features along children’s actual routes to school.

In line with the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), findings were organised into four typologies: environmental context, emotions, social influences and trip factors, describing the facilitators and barriers to children’s AST behaviours; and discussed according to the Capability Opportunity Motivation- Behaviour (COM-B) model. Overall, results of this study highlighted that pedestrian-friendly urban forms (i.e. better connected street network, more direct routes supported with increased land use mix) and active travel infrastructure (i.e. reduced car traffic and noise pollution, maintained and wider footpaths, safe crossings and multi-sensory green routes) in school neighbourhoods (800-meter buffers) are key intervention strategies for promoting AST through design. In addition, social aspects (i.e. walking with family and friends) and anti-social behaviours in public spaces (i.e. dangerous driving, smoking, broken glasses) are found to be important aspects of children’s travel experiences and should be considered in AST interventions.

This study contributes to the existing literature by broadening our understanding of the role of BE attributes in promoting AST. The child-centred approach provides new insights to the limited body of research on children’s perspectives on specific environmental features supportive of active school journeys. In addition, by associating behavioural domains with design aspects, the findings provide evidence for urban designers and public health practitioners on the benefits and limitations of street-level interventions towards child-friendly streets in both existing and future urban spaces.

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