Welcoming the rider: Evaluating Micro-Scale Environmental Quality of Ttareungi Stations Across Selected Districts in Seoul = 라이더 환영: 서울 특정 지역의 따릉이 역의 미시적 환경 품질 평가

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Most bike-sharing research has examined at the extent to which the system works
and how many people use it, but not at the small-scale contexts where people
interact with the bike-share stations. This thesis analyzes the influence of the
physical and spatial attributes of bike-sharing stations on their perceived
accessibility and everyday functionality, utilizing Seoul's public bike-sharing
system, Ttareungi, as a case study. The research formulates the Station
Environment Quality Index (SEQI) to assess micro-scale station environments
across eight districts from 2015 to 2024 by longitudinal street-view audits. We
compare the SEQI results to in-person field observations of operational
circumstances and a user impression survey. To measure spatial equity in
environmental quality, we employ Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients. The results
reveal that Ttareungi station environments have gotten better over time, although
not evenly across districts or networks. SEQI align closely with
the perception indicators like clutter and docking difficulty, but weakly in terms
of operational indicators like bicycle availability, which are based on demand and
redistribution. User perceptions underscore the significance of safety, spatial
organization, and visibility. The study illustrates that welcoming station
surroundings result from the interplay of spatial design, maintenance, and
institutional management, offering a micro-scale viewpoint to bike-sharing
planning and urban design studies.

국문 초록 (Abstract)

대부분의 자전거 공유 시스템 연구는 시스템의 운영 성과나 이용
규모에 초점을 맞추어 왔으며, 이용자가 실제로 자전거 대여소와
상호작용하는 미시적 공간 맥락에 대해서는 상대적으로 충분히 다루지
못하였다. 본 논문은 서울시 공공자전거 시스템인 따릉이를 사례로 하여,
자전거 공유 대여소의 물리적·공간적 특성이 인지된 접근성과 일상적
기능성에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지를 분석한다. 이를 위해 2015 년부터
2024 년까지 서울시 8 개 자치구를 대상으로 거리뷰 시계열 분석을 활용한
장기적 미시 환경 평가 지표인 대여소 환경 질 지수(Station Environment
Quality Index, SEQI)를 구축하였다. SEQI 결과는 현장 관찰을 통한 운영
상태 자료 및 이용자 인식 설문조사 결과와 비교·검증되었다. 또한 환경
질의 공간적 형평성을 평가하기 위해 로렌츠 곡선과 지니계수를
활용하였다. 분석 결과, 따릉이 대여소 환경은 전반적으로 개선되는
경향을 보였으나, 그 개선 속도와 수준은 자치구 및 대여소 간에 고르게
분포되지 않았다. SEQI 는 혼잡도나 거치 난이도와 같은 인지적·체험적
지표와는 비교적 강한 연관성을 보인 반면, 자전거 이용 가능 대수와 같은
운영 지표와는 약한 연관성을 나타냈는데, 이는 수요 변동과 재배치
전략의 영향을 받기 때문이다. 이용자 인식 분석 결과는 안전성, 공간적
질서, 가시성의 중요성을 더욱 강조하였다. 본 연구는 환영받는 대여소
환경이 공간 설계, 유지관리, 제도적 운영의 상호작용을 통해 형성됨을
보여주며, 자전거 공유 계획 및 도시설계 연구에 미시적 관점을 제공한다.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Abstract iv
• Chapter 1 Introduction 1
• 1.1 Background and Research Context 1
• 1.2 Problem Statement: Welcoming Environments in Bike-Sharing 2
• 1.3 Purpose of the Study 3
• 1.4 Research Questions and Objectives 3
• 1.5 Scope and Contribution 4
• 1.6 Structure of the Thesis 5
• Chapter 2 Literature Review 6
• 2.1 Bicycle-Sharing System and Station Environments 6
• 2.2 Built environment determinants of “welcoming” bike-share station environments 8
• 2.3 User perception, Comfort, and Usability in Cycling Infrastructure 10
• 2.4 Microscale environmental audit tools and street-view based methods 13
• 2.5 Operational reliability and the role of field observation 14
• 2.6 Welcoming Environments, Equity and Distributional Considerations 16
• 2.7 Gap in existing research: No Micro-Scale Evaluation of Ttareungi Stations 17
• Chapter 3 Methodology 19
• 3.1 Research Design and Overall Framework 19
• 3.2 Study Area and Station selection 21
• 3.3 Data Sources 22
• 3.3.1 KakaoMap Road View Temporal Imagery Audit 22
• 3.3.2 Field Observation 25
• 3.3.3 User Perception Survey 26
• 3.3.4 Institutional Consultation with Ttareungi Management (SMG) 27
• 3.4 Station Environment Quality Index (SEQI) 28
• 3.4.1 SEQI Conceptual Development 28
• 3.4.2 Indicators and Scoring Rubric 29
• 3.4.3 Weighting and Normalisation 31
• 3.4.4 SEQI Validation and Sensitivity Testing 32
• 3.5 Analytical Methods 33
• 3.5.1 Descriptive and Temporal Analysis 33
• 3.5.2 Distribution Analysis (Gini Coefficient and Lorenz Curves) 34
• 3.5.3 Fieldwork-Based Validation and Correlation Analysis 35
• 3.6 Ethical Consideration 37
• Chapter 4 Findings 39
• 4.1 Temporal Trends in Station Environment Quality (SEQI) 39
• 4.2 Spatial and Distributional Patterns Across Districts 43
• 4.3 Field Observation Findings: Operational and Environmental Conditions 48
• 4.3.1 Descriptive Patterns in Fieldwork Observations 48
• 4.3.2 Internal Composition of Fieldwork Indicators 49
• 4.3.3 Correlation Between SEQI and Observed Station Conditions 50
• 4.4 User Perception of Station Welcoming Factors 52
• 4.5 Integrated Results Summary 60
• Chapter 5 Discussion 63
• 5.1 Interpreting Welcoming Environments Across Urban Contexts 63
• 5.2 Relationship Between Environmental Quality, Perception, and Use 65
• 5.3 Implications for Station Design and Management 69
• 5.4 Methodological Reflections on SEQI and Fieldwork 72
• Chapter 6 Conclusion 77
• 6.1 Summary and Findings 77
• 6.2 Contributions to Urban Design and Mobility Research 78
• 6.3 Policy and Planning Implications for Ttareungi 78
• 6.4 Limitations and Future Research Directions 79
• REFERENCES 81
• LIST OF TABLES 90
• LIST OF FIGURES 91
• Appendix A 93
• Appendix C 97
• Appendix D 98
• Appendix E 110
• Abstract in Korean 118