Running the Tracks, Contextual Influence Modeling

Abstract

Research into physical activity done in the built environment has become increasingly more important the last few decades, as an ever growing part of people in western countries participate in it. Among them running as activity has become important, being one of the most performed sports in the Netherlands. This increase in popularity sparked a similar increase in attention given by scientific research to the topic. These studies often do not yet take geographical information into account. This master thesis aims to participate in filling up this gap of implementation by researching if the spatial influences on a runner can be modeled using geographical information.

To do this, nine influence factors are gathered from scientific literature; running surface, verbal harassment, street lighting, motorized vehicles, cyclists, natural areas, sound pollution, air pollution and variety in surroundings. For these factors, influence modeling methods are composed to map the spatial influences based on a runner being on an influence source, being in close proximity or receiving influences from multiple sources around the runner. By enriching 200 GPS tracks with this influence information for each GPS measurement. To try and validate the methods and influence factors, the results are statistically tested against the amount of runner activity per neighborhood in a research area around the Dutch city of Eindhoven. A multiple regression analysis is performed with the nine influence factors per GPS measurements as independent variables.

The performance of the regression model, however, seems poor, as the relation between the influence factors and the amount of runner activity in a neighborhoods share a moderate, but significant, relation. Causes for this were found in both the uncertainties in the modeling methods, as this is an explorative study, as limitations in the data that could be used to model the factors. Further research into combinations of influence factors, research subject sizes and modeling methods is needed to assess if the groundwork this thesis achieves in researching the spatial influences on runners is to be utilized further.