![]() To identify and address environmental barriers, governmental agencies have undertaken various approaches including inspection by experts and encouraging individuals to self-report. ![]() An environmental feature that causes discomfort in a certain group of pedestrians can become an environmental barrier. For example, a physically impaired person may be uncomfortable in a built environment that is designed for a normal person. Considering that an environmental barrier is the result of the interaction between an individual’s physical capacity and the environmental demands, it can be interpreted as a relative concept. ![]() An environmental barrier, in terms of walkability, can be defined as an environmental feature that restricts the comfortable use of the built environment by an individual. One of the methods for improving the walkability of a neighborhood is to eliminate environmental barriers as an individual’s mobility may be impeded by diverse environmental barriers. Since walking activity is usually performed in a built environment that incorporates various elements, pedestrian walkability is significantly affected by the conditions of the built environment. To date, several built environments have been identified that correlate to PA, including walking activity. In addition to environmental benefits compared to driving, walking has also been linked to diverse health benefits in terms of reducing obesity, improving cardiovascular health, managing diabetes, and improving one’s quality of life. As the most widely practiced form of both transportation and PA, walking and the walking environment have been the focus of many studies. Numerous previous studies have shown how the built environment influences the behavior of pedestrians. The promotion of physical activity (PA) in the general population is an essential factor that improves public health. The findings of this study will facilitate the design of more pedestrian-friendly environments and the development of diverse approaches that utilize citizens for monitoring the built environment. The grid cells whereby the participants indicated that environmental barriers were present yielded relatively high information entropy values. After the acquired data were converted to behavioral probability distributions, the information entropy of each grid cell was calculated. The physical responses of pedestrians were collected using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor in a smartphone. Based on this consideration, this study examines the feasibility of information-entropy-based behavioral analysis for the detection of environmental barriers. Barriers can act as external stimuli for pedestrians, so pedestrians may diversely respond to them. Therefore, the barriers of the built environment should be identified and addressed. Walking is considered to be a fundamental daily physical activity, which requires an appropriate environment. The enhancement of physical activity is highly correlated with the conditions of the built environment.
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