From Walkable Communities to Active Lifestyles: Exploring Causal Pathways through a Case Study in Austin, Texas.

This article examines how relocating to a walkable community in Austin, Texas, specifically the Mueller neighborhood, influences residents' neighborhood walking, social interactions, and neighborhood cohesion. Using a retrospective pre–post survey of 446 residents and structural equation modeling, the study found that improved neighborhood walkability directly and indirectly (via reduced environmental barriers and increased social support) increased walking behavior, which was positively associated with enhanced social interactions and neighborhood cohesion. The findings highlight complex, mutually reinforcing pathways linking physical and social health benefits of walkable environments, even after accounting for residential self-selection and pre-move behaviors. These results provide empirical support for integrated urban planning and public health policies aimed at promoting walkable communities to foster both physical activity and social well-being.