title: Street connectivity and walking for transport: role of neighborhood destinations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Built environment attributes may be important determinants of physical activity. Greater street connectivity has been shown in several studies to be associated with adults' walking for transport (WFT). We examined the extent to which this association can be explained by the availability of utilitarian destinations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults (n=2544) participating in the Physical Activity in Localities and Community Environments (PLACE) study in Adelaide, Australia during 2003-2004, reported their WFT and perceived distances to 16 utilitarian destinations. Connectivity was calculated as the ratio of the number of intersections to Census Collection District land area. Marginal models via generalized estimating equations were used and the product-of-coefficients test was used to test mediation effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Connectivity was significantly associated with destination availability and with WFT frequency. The connectivity-WFT relationship was attenuated after taking availability of destinations into account, but remained significant. Availability of destinations accounted for 16% of the total effect of connectivity on WFT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher connectivity can be associated with more frequent WFT, partly because more utilitarian destinations are available in areas with well-connected street networks. Further clarification of these relationships and other pathways through which connectivity influences residents' walking can inform urban design initiatives to promote physical activity.
authors: Behavioural Epidemiology Laboratory, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia; McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: Javad.Koohsari@bakeridi.edu.au.
authors: Mohammad Javad
authors: MJ
authors: Koohsari
authors: Behavioural Epidemiology Laboratory, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Spatial Epidemiology and Evaluation Research Group, Sansom Institute for Health Research & School of Population Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
authors: Takemi
authors: T
authors: Sugiyama
authors: Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors: Karen Elaine
authors: KE
authors: Lamb
authors: McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Villanueva
authors: Behavioural Epidemiology Laboratory, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia; School of Population Health, the University of Queensland, Australia; School of Population and Global Health, Melbourne University, Australia; Department of Medicine, Monash University, Australia.
authors: Neville
authors: N
authors: Owen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002958:City Planning; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013021:South Australia; D016138:Walking; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Built environment; Destinations; Street network; Urban design; Urban form; Walking