The role of healthy urban performance on walkability: broadening the theory of planned behaviour

This study aims to broaden Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) by inclusion of healthy urban performance attributes of the residential neighbourhoods as an additional predictor for walking behaviour. First, the study reviews the literature on TPB and walkability in residential environments, then construct a TPB model based on walkability to set the hypotheses. The study will explore the correlations through a survey of residents in Ankara, Turkey (n= 220). To analyse the data, first confirmatory factor analysis and later, structural equation modelling will be used. The findings of the study highlights two aspects of planning for a walkable neighbourhood: (i) a walkability model based on the three constructs of TPB should not neglect the measured and experienced urban performance; (ii) utilizing pedestrian environment for walking as fully as possible requires a collaborative and experiential approach and a multi-parameter decision-making process, which are all closely related with observations of walking behaviours both in the present day and future.