Mode shifting in school travel mode: examining the prevalence and correlates of active school transport in Ontario, Canada

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Studies examining the correlates of school transport commonly fail to make the distinction between morning and afternoon school trips. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of mode shift from passive in the morning to active in the afternoon among elementary and secondary school students in Ontario, Canada.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were derived from the 2009 cycle of the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS). 3,633 students in grades 7 through 12 completed self-administered questionnaires. Socio-demographic, behavioural, psychological, and environmental predictors of active school transport (AST) were assessed using logistic regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, 47% and 38% of elementary school students reported AST to and from school, respectively. The corresponding figures were 23% and 32% for secondary school students. The prevalence of AST varied temporarily and spatially. There was a higher prevalence of walking/biking found for elementary school students than for secondary school students, and there was an approximate 10% increase in AST in the afternoon. Different correlates of active school transport were also found across elementary and secondary school students. For all ages, students living in urban areas, with a shorter travel time between home and school, and having some input to the decision making process, were more likely to walk to and from school.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Future research examining AST should continue to make the analytic distinction between the morning and afternoon trip, and control for the moderating effect of age and geography in predicting mode choice. In terms of practice, these variations highlight the need for school-specific travel plans rather than 'one size fits all' interventions in promoting active school transport.</p

Social Design. Design e bene comune.

Per questo primo doppio numero della rivista, Social Design. Design e "bene comune", curato da Marinella Ferrara, Francesco E. Guida, Mario Piazza, Paola Proverbio e Raimonda Riccini, quasi come una sfida, si è provato a rompere l’ortodossia di un approccio lineare alla storia. In questo orientamento, che tende a portare più vicino a noi i temi storici, il Social Design si offre in modo calzante per il suo essere questione contemporanea e complessa, ampia e ambigua financo controversa, anche solo dal punto di vista delle diverse espressioni sinonimiche con cui si presenta: design etico, design umanitario, design per la collettività, design di pubblica utilità, design per l’utenza ampliata, design per la sostenibilità, ... Il numero ha ricevuto la Menzione d'Onore alla XXVII edizione del Compasso d'Oro (giugno 2022), ed è stato segnalato nell'ADI Design Index 2021 (promosso da ADI, Associazione per il Disegno Industriale) nella sezione "Ricerca teorica, storica, critica e progetti editoriali"