The influence of neighbourhood walkability and bikeability on park visits using mobility data in Canada

Abstract

Parks afford the opportunity to engage with nature and have physical, social and psychological benefits. It is important to understand whether neighbourhood design can influence park visits. This study’s objective was to examine the association between neighbourhood walkability/bikeability and park visits in Canada. Between January 2019 and October 2021, park visits from 215 municipal and dog parks were linked to neighbourhood walkability and bikeability. Negative binomial regressions estimated associations between walkability, bikeability, and visits controlling for year, park type, median neighbourhood income, median age of residents, and urban/rural location. Neighbourhood walkability and bikeability were moderately correlated and explored separately (r = 0.375, p < .001). Compared to the lowest, parks with the highest level of neighbourhood walkability (RR = 11.64, p < .001) and bikeability (RR = 2.29, p < .001) had significantly more visits. The results suggest that the walkability/bikeability surrounding parks may impact visits. Future studies would benefit from exploring the ways in which neighbourhood characteristics can promote park use.