Document Type : Descriptive
Authors
1 Ph.D. candidate, University of Tabriz
2 Payame Noor University, Tabriz, Iran.
Abstract
Today, with increasing urbanization and the expansion of sedentary lifestyles, attention to health-oriented urban design has become a necessity. Physical inactivity is recognized as one of the main factors of non-communicable diseases and imposes heavy costs on countries' health systems. For this reason, studying how urban environments affect citizens' physical activity is of great importance. In this regard, the walkable cities approach has been proposed as an effective solution for promoting an active lifestyle. This research was conducted with the aim of analyzing the role of walkable cities in increasing physical activity among citizens, using qualitative thematic analysis method and the Attride-Stirling thematic network approach. The statistical population included experts in the fields of urban design, urban planning, public health, physical activity, and public sports, and using purposive sampling and snowball technique, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 experts. To ensure the scientific quality of the research, Guba and Lincoln's four criteria including credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability were utilized. From 128 basic themes, 21 organizing themes were extracted, and finally 6 global themes were identified: safety and accessibility for physical activity, environmental attractiveness and quality, diversity and social inclusivity, specialized infrastructure, social and institutional support, and physical-functional coherence of walkable cities. The results show that developing walkable cities requires a comprehensive approach to physical, social, cultural, and managerial dimensions that can enhance quality of life and environmental sustainability in addition to increasing physical activity.
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