THE EFFECT OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ON WALKING TO AN MRT STATION

Abstract

This paper seeks to understand how the design of the built environment has an influence on MRT commuters’ walking effort, represented by their walking duration, from their homes to the MRT stations where it is approximately within a walking duration of less than 30 minutes. The quantitative research method has been undertaken in this paper. The survey will allow for primary data to be collected from a large sample of MRT commuters on their experience with several built environment characteristics, in particular attributes related to the 3Ds (i.e. density, diversity and design) of urban form, during their walking trip to the MRT station. According to the survey results, the average duration that respondents’ took to walk from their homes to the MRT stations to take the MRT to their destinations is about 9.6 to 14.1 minutes. A chi-square test shows that walking effort is associated with the presence of diverse land uses and the usefulness of diverse land uses. The factor analysis test results also show that these variables are significant. Most of the respondents also agree that the side-walks are well-maintained, safe from crime and traffic and filled with greenery. These variables are found to have a positive correlation with the overall pleasantness of the walking trip. Based on the chi-square test, the overall pleasantness of the walking trip has a significant association with walking effort. Hence, local urban planners have to ensure that the pedestrian path network to the MRT stations is well-connected and designed to fulfill the 3Ds of urban form.