Gender difference in recreational active travel: The role of multi-level urban environment in safe, compact cities

Recreational Active Travel (RAT), including walking and jogging for leisure, provides substantial health benefits, yet its gender disparities remain underexplored, particularly in high-density Asian cities. We examine gender-specific RAT patterns in Hong Kong using crowdsourced Strava data, integrating macro-level built environment (BE) and micro-level street environment (SE) attributes. We analyze about one million RAT activities recorded in October 2023, disaggregated by gender across 280,000 street segments citywide. Street view images are employed to extract objective and subjective SE features including perceived qualities. We revealed pronounced spatiotemporal gender disparities. Male RAT volume is five times higher than female RAT volume, with the gap widening at night as female activity declines by 26% compared to 21% for males. On weekends, however, female activity increases sharply by 24%, while male activity rises only 2%, suggesting that women face greater weekday constraints. Females also exhibit stronger environmental sensitivity, while footbridges and POI density positively influence RAT for both genders. Micro-SE features such as ocean views and sidewalks promote RAT, whereas signboards and floor-level barriers deter it, disproportionately affecting females. Interestingly, building density and proximity to MTR stations suppress activity particularly among males. Unexpectedly, perceived safety and proximity to police stations exert limited influence, diverging from findings in low-density Western contexts. This study introduces a scalable framework for analyzing gender-specific urban design, underscoring the need to move beyond crime-prevention paradigms. It highlights strategies for gender-inclusive urban design that prioritize accessibility, comfort, and design quality to foster active mobility in compact Asian cities. • Male outdoor exercise volume is 5× (6.5×) higher than female day (night). • Female outdoor exercise rises 42.3% on weekends vs. 26.2% for males. • Footbridges, POIs, ocean views & sidewalks boost outdoor exercise across genders. • Visual clutter and floor-level barriers disproportionately deter females. • Police stations and perceived safety are insignificant, challenging prior findings.