Assessing the Policy Environment for Active Mobility in Cities—Development and Feasibility of the PASTA Cycling and Walking Policy Environment Score

Sonja Kahlmeier, Esther Anaya Boig, Alberto Castro, Emilia Smeds, Fabrizio Benvenuti, Ulf Eriksson, Francesco Iacorossi, Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen, Luc Int Panis, David Rojas-Rueda, Sandra Wegener and Audrey de Nazelle
Additional contact information
Sonja Kahlmeier: Department of Health, Swiss Distance University of Applied Science (FFHS), 3900 Brig, Switzerland
Esther Anaya Boig: Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, London SW7 1NE, UK
Alberto Castro: Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), Epidemiology, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
Emilia Smeds: Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP), Department for Science, University College London, London WC1E 6JA, UK
Fabrizio Benvenuti: Roma Servizi per la mobilità, 00143 Rome, Italy
Ulf Eriksson: Trivector, 11123 Stockholm, Sweden
Francesco Iacorossi: Roma Servizi per la mobilità, 00143 Rome, Italy
Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen: Institute for Global Health (IS Global), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Luc Int Panis: Flemish Institute for Technological Research VITO, 2400 Mol, Belgium
David Rojas-Rueda: Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Sandra Wegener: Institute for Transport Studies (ITS), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Audrey de Nazelle: Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, London SW7 1NE, UK

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: The importance of setting a policy focus on promoting cycling and walking as sustainable and healthy modes of transport is increasingly recognized. However, to date a science-driven scoring system to assess the policy environment for cycling and walking is lacking. In this study, spreadsheet-based scoring systems for cycling and walking were developed, including six dimensions (cycling/walking culture, social acceptance, perception of traffic safety, advocacy, politics and urban planning). Feasibility was tested using qualitative data from pre-specified sections of semi-standardized interview and workshop reports from a European research project in seven cities, assessed independently by two experts. Disagreements were resolved by discussions of no more than 75 minutes per city. On the dimension “perception of traffic safety”, quantitative panel data were used. While the interrater agreement was fair, feasibility was confirmed in general. Validity testing against social norms towards active travel, modal split and network length was encouraging for the policy area of cycling. Rating the policy friendliness for cycling and walking separately was found to be appropriate, as different cities received the highest scores for each. Replicating this approach in a more standardized way would pave the way towards a transparent, evidence-based system for benchmarking policy approaches of cities towards cycling and walking.

Keywords: cycling; walking; active travel policy assessment; scoring; transport planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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