Exploring pedestrian thermal risk exposure and its determinants among various types of walking trips: A gendered examination from a GPS-based study in Nanjing

Previous research has found that components of the natural and built environment play an important role in regulating ambient temperature. However, existing research regarding the association between these environmental characteristics and thermal exposure has focused mainly at the macro level, leaving this relationship at the individual level underexplored. It remains unknown how the environment functions differently in determining thermal exposure among various types of trips and how this mechanism differs by gender. Using GPS walking trajectory data collected in Nanjing, China, this study examines the extent to which male and female pedestrians experience different levels of thermal exposure, and how the thermal exposure determinants work differently between utilitarian and recreational trips. Descriptive analysis shows that men experience higher per-minute thermal exposure than women, and both male and female pedestrians face higher thermal exposure per minute during utilitarian walks compared to recreational walks. Generalized linear mixed model results indicate that green spaces significantly reduce thermal exposure for both male and female pedestrians during utilitarian walking trips, but this effect only works among women regarding recreational walking. We also identified a negative relationship between water bodies and thermal exposure during recreational walks, but this correlation only occurs among women. Our study suggests that the natural environment’s mitigating effect on thermal exposure differs by gender among different types of walking trips. Policymakers should consider these disparities to avoid exacerbating gender inequality in the arena of thermal exposure and health.