One approach does not fit all settings : Exploring the effects of natural and built environments on running pleasantness across places

Running is one of the most frequently practiced exercises worldwide. Perceived pleasantness of running contributes to exercise motivation and thereby can promote running behaviours. However, the associations between environmental factors and running experience have been largely overlooked. This study adopts a public participation GIS approach to collect the mapped point features (N = 941) and assess running pleasantness from 222 runners who resided in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland. The results of a global regression model indicated that nature exposure (including eye-level greenness, top-down greenness, and blue space availability) and housing price were positively related to running pleasantness. Intersection density, traffic noise, and population density were negatively associated with running pleasantness. The spatial heterogeneity of these associations across the study area was revealed by adopting a local regression (MGWR) approach. Positive environmental attributes (e.g. blue space availability) increase running pleasantness more effectively when such attributes are more abundant, while negative attributes (e.g. traffic noise) strongly affect running pleasantness in settings where such environmental features are relatively rare. Given that the spatially-varying and scale-varying relationships between running pleasantness and environmental variables were observed across the study area, our findings provide evidence-based knowledge for planners and related policymakers, which suggests that utilizing a single approach without targeting specific settings is unwise to promote running exercise. Activity-based locations tend to have various environmental characteristics, the exposure of which needs to be adjusted uniquely and separately. Therefore, location-targeted interventions would be more effective in promoting running exercise and other physical activities than blanket approaches.