AUTHOR=Yang Linchuan , Yu Bingjie , Liang Pengpeng , Tang Xianglong , Li Ji TITLE=Crowdsourced Data for Physical Activity-Built Environment Research: Applying Strava Data in Chengdu, China JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health VOLUME=10 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.883177 DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.883177 ISSN=2296-2565 ABSTRACT=

The lack of physical activity has become a rigorous challenge for many countries, and the relationship between physical activity and the built environment has become a hot research topic in recent decades. This study uses the Strava Heatmap (novel crowdsourced data) to extract the distribution of cycling and running tracks in central Chengdu in December 2021 (during the COVID-19 pandemic) and develops spatial regression models for numerous 500 × 500 m grids (N = 2,788) to assess the impacts of the built environment on the cycling and running intensity indices. The findings are summarized as follows. First, land-use mix has insignificant effects on the physical activity of residents, which largely contrasts with the evidence gathered from previous studies. Second, road density, water area, green space area, number of stadiums, and number of enterprises significantly facilitate cycling and running. Third, river line length and the light index have positive associations with running but not with cycling. Fourth, housing price is positively correlated with cycling and running. Fifth, schools seem to discourage these two types of physical activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provides practical implications (e.g., green space planning and public space management) for urban planners, practitioners, and policymakers.