Assessing influential factors and proposed safety guidelines for children walking to school: a case study in Shah Alam City, Malaysia

The growing reliance on motorised vehicles for short daily trips, including school trips, has contributed to sedentary lifestyles among Malaysian children. Despite various well- documented health, environmental, and social benefits of Active School Travel (AST), the participation rate of physical activity, particularly walking, in Malaysia remains low, and there is limited context-specific research integrating behavioural, environmental, and safety factors within urban school environments. Thus, this study focuses on (i) identifying influencing factors of children’s walking behaviour, (ii) assessing safety conditions of school walking environments, and (iii) developing child-sensitive planning guidelines for school zones. The study aims to analyse key determinants of children’s walking behaviour, evaluate pedestrian infrastructure and safety conditions, and propose context-specific guidelines for improving walkability in school environments. The research addresses three primary issues: (1) lack of priorities for walking schoolchildren in terms of pedestrian infrastructure and the surrounding environment, (2) hazardous existing traffic patterns, pedestrian behaviour, and safety infrastructure that contribute to road accidents, and (3) the non-existence of context- specific guidelines for pedestrian facilities and infrastructure provision for school zones. By using Shah Alam City, Malaysia, as a case study, a mixed-methods research design was employed. Data collection included questionnaire surveys with 400 primary schoolchildren aged 7 to 12 years across six schools, field observations of pedestrian infrastructure, and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, involving representatives from government agencies, urban planning consultants, school staff, and parents. The study found that children’s decisions to walk to school in Shah Alam were mainly influenced by age, gender, household income, and distance. Boys, older children, and those from lower-income families walked more often. Parental attitudes and perceived safety also shaped walking behaviour. Field observations revealed inadequate pedestrian infrastructure, including poor sidewalk continuity, limited crossings, and insufficient lighting, compromising safety. Overall, the findings indicate that children’s walking behaviour is shaped by the interaction of socio-demographic characteristics, parental perceptions, and the quality of pedestrian infrastructure. Thus, safer environments, supportive parents, and improved facilities were identified as essential to encourage AST and guide child-focused urban planning. Based on the findings, qualitative insights verified the quantitative findings and highlighted gaps between the existing infrastructure and the needs of walking schoolchildren. Therefore, this study proposes context-specific guidelines for pedestrian facility planning, integrating international best practices and designed to fulfil the children’s physical and cognitive needs. The research conducted has contributed to the academic discourse by filling contextual, methodological, and research gaps in the AST literature within an urbanisation context. Additionally, this study has significant practical implications for urban planning and transport policy. It aligns with the Quadruple Helix Model, engaging key stakeholders, including government, academia, industry, and community, to collaboratively promote physical activity through safer, healthier, and more walkable school environments. However, the study is limited to selected schools in Shah Alam and relies on cross-sectional data, which may restrict the generalisability of the findings.