The mediating role of visual behavior in perceived walkability evaluation

Past studies used street-view images to directly analyze the effect of visual environments on perceived walkability. There is a gap in understanding how eye movement mediates the results of perceived walkability evaluations. The study proposed a method to transform the vector coordinates of gaze into the coordinates of panoramic photos. Then, we used mixed linear regressions and a simple mediation model to reveal the mediating role of visual behavior on perceived walkability evaluations. The results showed that: (1) Fixation has an incomplete mediating role in the impact of visual information on perceived walkability. (2) Most streetscape elements with long fixation duration impacted perceived walkability. (3) In the visual information model, the tree and streetlight negatively impacted perceived walkability. And the gutter positively impacted perceived walkability. However, in the fixation model, the tree and streetlight positively impacted perceived walkability. The gutter negatively impacted perceived walkability. This study offers scholars and policymakers a novel perspective on understanding perceived walkability.