Biodiversity and healthy cities: examining the associations of geographical characteristics with cycling behaviours using Strava Metro data in Newcastle, UK

Sustainable urban cities contribute positively to the promotion of active travel. Studies have shown the increasing access to greenspace improves health, however little is known about the impacts of biodiversity on active travel. We hypothesise an increased degree of biodiversity will be positively associated with increased cycling volume. We combine several environmental, ecological, and urban form datasets to understand the association between environmental characteristics including biodiversity and recreational cycling in Newcastle. Recreational cycling data was acquired from the Strava Metro dataset in 2018. After data processing, a linear mixed-effects model will be used to determine significant associations between cycling volume and independent variables. This research will contribute to our understanding of the contribution of nature and biodiversity towards public health, pertinent due to the ongoing biodiversity crisis and growing urban populations.