title: Does walkable neighbourhood design influence the association between objective crime and walking?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have investigated associations between objectively measured crime and walking, and findings are mixed. One explanation for null or counterintuitive findings emerges from criminology studies, which indicate that the permeable street layouts and non-residential land uses that underpin walkable neighbourhoods are also associated with more crime. This study examined associations between objective crime and walking, controlling for the characteristics of walkable neighbourhoods.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population representative sample of adults (25-65 years) (n = 3,487) completed the Western Australian Health and Wellbeing Survey (2006-2008) demographic and walking frequency items. Objective environmental measures were generated for each participant's 400 m and 1600 m neighbourhood areas, including burglary, personal crime (i.e., crimes committed against people) in public space, residential density, street connectivity and local destinations. Log-linear negative binomial regression models were used to examine associations between crime and walking frequency/week, with progressive adjustment for residential density, street connectivity and local destinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Burglary and personal crime occurring within a participant's 400 m and 1600 m neighbourhoods were positively and significantly associated with walking frequency. For example, for every additional 10 crimes against the person/year within 400 m of a participant's home, walking frequency increased by 8% (relative change = 1.077, p = 0.017). Associations remained constant after controlling for residential density and street connectivity, but attenuated after adjusting for local destinations (e.g., for personal crime in 400 m: relative change = 1.054, p = 0.104). This pattern of attenuation was evident across both crime categories and both neighbourhood sizes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The observed positive associations between objective crime and walking appear to be a function of living in a more walkable environment, as the presence of destinations has the capacity to both promote walking and attract crime. This study provides a plausible explanation for some mixed findings emerging from studies examining crime as a barrier to walking. In some settings, the hypothesised deterrent effect of crime on walking may be insufficient to outweigh the positive impacts of living in a more walkable environment.
authors: Centre for the Built Environment and Health, School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia. sarah.foster@uwa.edu.au.
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Foster
authors: Centre for the Built Environment and Health, School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia. Matthew.Knuiman@uwa.edu.au.
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Knuiman
authors: McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia. k.villanueva@unimelb.edu.au.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Villanueva
authors: Centre for the Built Environment and Health, School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia. lisa.wood@uwa.edu.au.
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Wood
authors: Centre for the Built Environment and Health, School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia. Hayley.christian@uwa.edu.au.|Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia. Hayley.christian@uwa.edu.au.
authors: Hayley
authors: H
authors: Christian
authors: McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia. b.giles-corti@unimelb.edu.au.
authors: Billie
authors: B
authors: Giles-Corti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003415:Crime; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016138:Walking; D014904:Western Australia