The Relationship Between Children and Young People’s Unaccompanied Trips With the Built and Social Environment in Santiago de Chile

Abstract

This study examines the influence of the built environment and the social environment on children and adolescents’ unaccompanied walking trips in Santiago. A novel methodology is employed, combining three quantitative tasks: rating scales, stated preferences and ranking. The results show that children and young people prefer built environment attributes that enhance the travel experience, provide natural surveillance of public spaces, and promote the presence of diverse people in the streets. Regarding the social environment, the presence of teenagers, men, and strangers drinking alcohol is uncomfortable or a barrier for travelling unaccompanied, while women, children, older people, and strangers chatting on the streets encourage walks among minors. However, the results show differences when the attributes are evaluated individually or collectively. Public policy strategies must address both the built and social environments to promote children’s and young people’s walking.