Street connectivity and active mobility in emerging economies: disparities of socioeconomic features and travel behavior in sprawling versus compact urban neighbourhoods

Our knowledge of urban sprawl and its relationship with urban mode choices in the context of developing countries is limited. The present study aims to evaluate the influence of travel behaviour, socioeconomic features of residents in sprawling and compact areas as two different types of neighbourhoods Hamedan and Nowshahr, Iran. Also, this study analysed the relationship between street connectivity with the use of active mobility. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models were generated for trips in these two cities, which is complemented by chi-squared and Kruskal–Wallis tests to evaluate the similarities and dissimilarities of travel behaviour and other socioeconomic characteristics among the residents of compact and sprawling neighbourhoods. A significant relationship was observed between street connectivity and active mobility in all kinds of commuting and non-commuting trips inside and outside of neighbourhoods when age, gender, car ownership, and monthly income are controlled in the models of the two cities.