The impact of built environment on urban residents’ cycling intensity and its heterogeneity: A case study of the central urban area of Wuhan

Urban cycling emerges as a sustainable transportation mode with demonstrated potential to alleviate traffic congestion, mitigate air pollution, and improve public health outcomes. This study investigates the relationship between built environment characteristics and cycling intensity in central urban area of Wuhan, with particular attention to spatial heterogeneity. Utilizing high-resolution GPS trajectory data from the “2bulu” (2023–2024), we employ ArcGIS grid-based analysis to quantify cycling intensity through intra-cell trajectory aggregation. A multi-method analytical framework integrating ArcGIS spatial analysis, SPSS statistical evaluation, and Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) modeling reveals four principal findings: (1) Cycling intensity demonstrates significant spatial non-stationarity, exhibiting a pronounced “proximity-to-water” distribution pattern; (2) Five built environment dimensions - urban density, population-housing characteristics, transportation infrastructure, natural environmental factors, and facility distribution - collectively explain spatial variations in cycling behavior; (3) NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index), and hierarchical road network densities exhibit particularly strong yet heterogeneous associations with cycling intensity; (4) The influence and spatial scale of built environment variables vary significantly across predictors, highlighting context-dependent mechanisms. • Balance connectivity and accessibility. The construction of trunk roads and expressways ensures connectivity, while the layout of branch road networks promotes accessibility. Only by balancing the two can the cycling experience of cyclists be maximized. This study found that the impact of "trunk cycling" in the central urban area of Wuhan is stronger than the "branch cycling impact", reflecting that the cycling accessibility of most areas in the central urban area of Wuhan is stronger than the connectivity, and residents tend to ride on trunk roads. For this reason, it is necessary to build cycling lanes along trunk roads, widen non-motorized vehicle lanes on trunk roads, and add safety guardrails. • Avoid the "short board effect" of service facilities. This study found that the cycling intensity distribution of the "Yangsigang Bridge-Wujindi Road-Jiefang Road-Wuluo Road-Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge-Qingchuan Avenue" cross-river cycling loop is extremely uneven. After analysis, it is concluded that "some sections lack service facilities". In the construction of cycling loops, transportation infrastructure is not the only consideration. Service facilities and landscape construction along the way should be fully considered. Improve the completeness of facilities in low-density sections of the ring road to avoid the "short board effect" of service facilities. • Balance the construction of blue landscape cycling facilities. The cultural atmosphere of "biking near water" is strong among residents in the central urban area of Wuhan, and the spatial distribution of the intensity of cycling near water is extremely uneven. In order to ensure that residents in different areas have the nearest cycling near water, the construction of blue landscape cycling facilities should be balanced in space, and "multi-core" should be used instead of "single core" with only East Lake water area to achieve balanced waterfront cycling. • Improve the safety and convenience of green space cycling. Build large areas of green space within the development boundary to ensure safety and convenience, add dedicated safe cycling lanes and surrounding service facilities, increase the cycling utilization rate of urban green space, and create a green ecological landscape for urban cycling. • "Square ​+ ​Waterfront" cycling attraction facilities are fully covered and connected. This study found that the habits of "biking near squares" and "biking near water" of residents in the central urban area of Wuhan are complementary in terms of region. Residents in areas lacking blue landscapes tend to ride near city squares. Build blue landscape cycling facilities throughout the central urban area, and at the same time improve the construction of cycling facilities around urban squares in areas far away from blue landscapes. Consider the cycling connectivity between squares, squares and waterfronts, and waterfronts and waterfronts to achieve full coverage and connectivity of cycling attraction facilities.