Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) has become a popular urban planning approach to preventing crime and mitigating fear of crime through the improvement of physical neighborhood environments. CPTED is widely used to improve deteriorated neighborhoods that suffer from crime. However, few studies have empirically examined the complex relationships among CPTED, fear of crime, and active living. Our study, therefore, investigated the effects of CPTED measures on walking frequency and fear of crime, analyzing behavioral data of residents living in participatory neighborhood regeneration areas and matched neighborhoods. We analyzed survey data from 12 neighborhoods that implemented CPTED approaches and 12 matched neighborhoods in Seoul, Korea, using structural equation modeling, which could consistently estimate complex direct and indirect relationships between a latent variable (fear of crime) and observable variables (CPTED measures and walking frequency). We designed the survey instrument as a smartphone app. Participants were recruited from 102 locations within the 24 selected neighborhoods; in total, 623 individuals returned surveys. The results revealed that sufficient closed-circuit television, street lighting, and maintenance played a significant role in mitigating fear of crime. This study has implications for planning and policy issues related to CPTED, mental health, and active living.

When attempts are made to incorporate shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) into urban mobility services, public transportation (PT) systems are affected by the changes in mode share. In light of that, a simulation-based method is presented herein for analyzing the manner in which mode choices of local travelers change between PT and SAVs. The data used in this study were the modal split ratios measured based on trip generation in the major cities of South Korea. Subsequently, using the simulated results, a city-wide impact analysis method is proposed that can reflect the differences between the two mode types with different travel behaviors. As the supply–demand ratio of SAVs increased in type 1 cities, which rely heavily on PT, use of SAVs gradually increased, whereas use of PT and private vehicles decreased. Private vehicle numbers significantly reduced only when SAVs and PT systems were complementary. In type 2 cities, which rely relatively less on PT, use of SAVs gradually increased, and use of private vehicles decreased; however, no significant impact on PT was observed. Private vehicle numbers were observed to reduce when SAVs were operated, and the reduction was a minimum of thrice that in type 1 cities when SAVs and PT systems interacted. Our results can therefore aid in the development of strategies for future SAV–PT operations.

This paper analyzes the impact of C-ITS service on driving behavior, focusing on a pilot project in Daejeon–Sejong, South Korea. C-ITS, an advanced technology, enables bidirectional wireless communication between vehicles or infrastructure, allowing for real-time traffic data collection and dissemination. The study uses a unique analytical method, employing parallel processing techniques for variable extraction and a paired t-test to examine the short-term effects of C-ITS on driving behavior. Findings indicate a significant change in drivers’ behavior, particularly in average speed, hard braking rate, severe deceleration rate, speeding rate, and excessive speeding rate, towards safer trends after receiving C-ITS warning services. Reductions in hard braking and severe deceleration were immediate after C-ITS service initiation, while a decrease in excessive speeding was observed after four months. Further research is needed to identify other potential influencing variables and provide an unbiased evaluation of C-ITS effectiveness. The study’s implications highlight its role in promoting public acceptance of C-ITS-service-based cooperative autonomous driving strategies.

Air pollution caused by rapid urbanization and the increased use of private vehicles seriously affects citizens’ health. In order to alleviate air pollution, many cities have replaced diesel buses with compressed natural gas (CNG) buses that emit less exhaust gas. Urban planning strategies such as transit-oriented development (TOD) posit that reducing private vehicle use and increasing public transportation use would reduce air pollution levels. The present study examined the effects of bus ridership on airborne particulate matter (PM10) concentrations in the capital region of Korea. We interpolated the levels of PM10 from 128 air pollution monitoring stations, utilizing the Kriging method. Spatial regression models were used to estimate the impact of bus ridership on PM10 levels, controlling for physical environment attributes and socio-economic factors. The analysis identified that PM10 concentration levels tend to be lower in areas with greater bus ridership. This result implies that urban and transportation policies designed to promote public transportation may be effective strategies for reducing air pollution.

The ‘safety in numbers’ phenomenon is very intriguing to many walking advocates. Some studies have examined the phenomenon for walkers, but they mostly focused on the relationship between pedestrian volume and the likelihood of vehicle–pedestrian crash occurrences. This study evaluated the effects of the ‘safety in numbers’ phenomenon not only on the risk of crash occurrences, but also on the probability of severe or fatal injuries. Pedestrian volume and crash data obtained from the six districts in Seoul Metropolitan City and Jeju Island were jointly analyzed to examine the expected pedestrian crash rate and the probability of severe or fatal injury as a function of pedestrian volume. The analysis confirmed that the expected pedestrian crash rate and the probability of severe or fatal injuries decline as pedestrian volume increases, although the absolute number of crashes and injuries increases. The increase in the number of pedestrian crashes is less than the increase in pedestrian volume. In addition, the probability of severe or fatal injuries tends to diminish with a larger pedestrian volume. These findings can be used as logical evidence to support future policies promoting walking trips, and they suggest that policy measures encouraging walking trips can deliver additional benefits beyond the well-known economic, health, and environmental benefits.