Speaker
Description
Highway cap parks are emerging as transformative urban green infrastructure, addressing environmental challenges while promoting physical activity (PA) and public space utilization in dense urban areas. This study examines the impact of the Bundang-Suseo Highway cap park in South Korea on residents’ PA levels, focusing on walking, moderate-intensity, and vigorous-intensity activities. Using pre-post comparisons, within-group analyses, and individual-level difference-in-differences (DID) modeling, the study evaluates changes in PA among households near the park (experimental group) and those farther away (control group), accounting for demographic and health-related characteristics.
The findings indicate a significant increase in walking-related activities in the experimental group. Average walking duration rose by 13.95 minutes per day, and days with at least 10 minutes of walking increased by 0.69 days per week. In contrast, no notable changes occurred in the control group, underscoring the park’s localized effect. While moderate- and vigorous-intensity activities remained largely unaffected, the park effectively promoted low-intensity activities, particularly among previously inactive individuals, demonstrating its potential to address physical inactivity and improve public health outcomes.
DID analysis further supports these trends, showing a marginally significant increase in walking frequency (0.41 days per week, p=0.070) but statistically insignificant changes in walking duration and overall PA scores. Despite modest effects, the park emerged as an accessible and inclusive public space, fostering informal exercise and social interaction. Its design prioritizes usability for diverse groups, including older adults and families, strengthening community cohesion and expanding opportunities for social engagement.
Beyond promoting PA, the cap park highlights the broader role of public spaces in enhancing urban livability. By repurposing underutilized infrastructure, it addresses spatial inequities, creating equitable access to recreational opportunities. Notably, walking activity in the experimental group eventually surpassed that of the control group, which initially benefited from proximity to an existing linear park, underscoring the cap park’s role in reducing disparities in green space access.
These findings offer important insights for urban planners and policymakers. Incorporating green infrastructure into urban design can simultaneously improve public health and expand high-quality public spaces. Ensuring equitable access to such spaces should remain a priority, complemented by features supporting diverse activities, such as fitness stations and organized programs, to further increase participation across different activity levels.
While this study highlights the short-term impacts of highway cap parks, further research is needed to explore long-term behavioral changes and broader social, environmental, and economic benefits. As multifunctional public spaces, cap parks present sustainable and equitable solutions for promoting physical activity, fostering social connections, and improving urban livability. These findings emphasize the need for integrated green infrastructure strategies to create more resilient, inclusive, and active urban environments.
References
Barquilla, C. A. M., Lee, J., & He, S. Y. (2023). The impact of greenspace proximity on stress levels and travel behavior among residents in Pasig City, Philippines during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sustainable Cities and Society, 97, 104782.
Park, K., & Lee, J. (2024). Mitigating air and noise pollution through highway capping: The Bundang-Suseo Highway Cap Project case study. Environmental Pollution, 346, 123620.
| Keywords | physical activity; highway cap park; public health; DID; green infrastructure |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
