Snow-sensitive built environment metrics and active behaviour: a systematic review
7 affiliations
- 1School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
- 2Urban Design Science for Health Laboratory, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Nomi, Japan
- 3Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Japan
- 4Faculty of Health Sciences, Aomori University of Health and Welfare, Aomori, Japan
- 5Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- 6Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, United States
- 7Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
Abstract
Background: Built environment metrics are widely used to assess walkability, but they often assume that conditions remain stable throughout the year. Under snow and ice conditions, accumulated and prolonged snowfall disrupts active behaviours and changes how people move through urban environments. Nevertheless, many built environment metrics do not fully consider these snow- and ice-related challenges.
Methods: A systematic search of Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect identified peer-reviewed English-language studies reporting relationships between built environment metrics and active behaviour under snow and ice barriers. Searches combined terms related to snow and ice, built environment, and active and sedentary behaviour outcomes, with the final search on 31 July 2025. From 1,501 records, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data on study characteristics, exposure and outcome measures, and key results were extracted and synthesised narratively due to heterogeneity in study designs and measures.
Results: The included studies were conducted primarily in Canada and Sweden, with others from China, Japan, Finland, and the United States. Walking was the most frequently investigated active behaviour outcome (50%), followed by total physical activity (29%) and cycling (21%). Most quantitative studies reported positive associations between built environment metrics and physical activities under snow and ice barriers, with fewer reporting null results. Qualitative studies consistently described supportive influences. Active transportation infrastructure (57%) and snow- and ice-specific adaptations (64%) were the most frequently examined metrics, both showing predominantly positive relationships with active behaviours.
Conclusions: Snow- and ice-specific adaptations and active transportation infrastructure appeared to be the urban design domains most consistently relevant to active behaviour under snow and ice conditions. Evidence for composite walkability measures and less frequently studied metrics, including land use mix, residential density, destination accessibility, public transportation accessibility, aesthetics, and public open space or greenspace access, remained limited. Objective, dynamic, and longitudinal snow-sensitive metrics are needed to assess how winter maintenance, sidewalk snow clearance, cycling infrastructure, covered pathways, and other interventions can reduce snow-related barriers to active behaviour and support year-round walkability.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28674-6.
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BibTeX
@article{zhao2026snowsensitive,
title = {{Snow-sensitive built environment metrics and active behaviour: a systematic review}},
author = {Jing Zhao and Jiuling Li and Md. Sabbir Hossain Khan and Koichiro Oka and Akitomo Yasunaga and Tomoki Nakaya and Andrew T. Kaczynski and Gavin R. McCormack and Mohammad Javad Koohsari},
journal = {BMC Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-28674-6},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28674-6},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Snow-sensitive built environment metrics and active behaviour: a systematic review
AU - Jing Zhao
AU - Jiuling Li
AU - Md. Sabbir Hossain Khan
AU - Koichiro Oka
AU - Akitomo Yasunaga
AU - Tomoki Nakaya
AU - Andrew T. Kaczynski
AU - Gavin R. McCormack
AU - Mohammad Javad Koohsari
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/24
JO - BMC Public Health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-28674-6
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28674-6
AB - Background: Built environment metrics are widely used to assess walkability, but they often assume that conditions remain stable throughout the year. Under snow and ice conditions, accumulated and prolonged snowfall disrupts active behaviours and changes how people move through urban environments. Nevertheless, many built environment metrics do not fully consider these snow- and ice-related challenges. Methods: A systematic search of Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect identified peer-reviewed English-language studies reporting relationships between built environment metrics and active behaviour under snow and ice barriers. Searches combined terms related to snow and ice, built environment, and active and sedentary behaviour outcomes, with the final search on 31 July 2025. From 1,501 records, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data on study characteristics, exposure and outcome measures, and key results were extracted and synthesised narratively due to heterogeneity in study designs and measures. Results: The included studies were conducted primarily in Canada and Sweden, with others from China, Japan, Finland, and the United States. Walking was the most frequently investigated active behaviour outcome (50%), followed by total physical activity (29%) and cycling (21%). Most quantitative studies reported positive associations between built environment metrics and physical activities under snow and ice barriers, with fewer reporting null results. Qualitative studies consistently described supportive influences. Active transportation infrastructure (57%) and snow- and ice-specific adaptations (64%) were the most frequently examined metrics, both showing predominantly positive relationships with active behaviours. Conclusions: Snow- and ice-specific adaptations and active transportation infrastructure appeared to be the urban design domains most consistently relevant to active behaviour under snow and ice conditions. Evidence for composite walkability measures and less frequently studied metrics, including land use mix, residential density, destination accessibility, public transportation accessibility, aesthetics, and public open space or greenspace access, remained limited. Objective, dynamic, and longitudinal snow-sensitive metrics are needed to assess how winter maintenance, sidewalk snow clearance, cycling infrastructure, covered pathways, and other interventions can reduce snow-related barriers to active behaviour and support year-round walkability. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28674-6.
SN - 1471-2458
ER -