Walkability

need and importance of walkability, calculating walkability

1. WALKABILITY SUSTAINTABLE DEVELOPMENT

2. DEFINATION Walkability is a concept which is known as measurement of the pedestrian-friendly’s degree of an area. Walking is “ the foundation of the sustainable city presenting a number of social, environmental and economic benefits when compared to other means of transportation. Extent to which the built environment is friendly to the presence of people living, shopping, visiting, enjoying or spending time in an area. SUSTAINABILIY Sustainability ( from sustain and ability ) is the property of biological systems to remain diverse and productive indefinitely. Sustainability is the endurance of systems and processes. The organizing principle for sustainability is sustainable development. "The term ' sustainability ' should be viewed as humanity's target goal of human-ecosystem equilibrium ,while 'sustainable development ' refers to the holistic approach and temporal processes that lead us to the end point of sustainability." Three spheres of Sustainability WALKABILIY

3. BENEFITS OF WALKING Environmental Benefits Economical Benefits Social Benefits Health Benefits Environmental Benefits It is an alternative to car usage, it reduces air pollution, traffic congestion, oil dependency, hence decreasing the emission of greenhouse gases and, at a global level, slowing down climate change . Studies have shown that automobile pollution is responsible for nearly 80 percent of carbon monoxide and 55 percent nitrogen oxide emissions in the U.S. By walking instead of driving, the reduction of traffic congestion, pollution are significant while benefiting the walker by increasing their physical activity level and mood. Economical Benefits Walking is an easy and affordable way to get exercise and people shouldn't have to worry about the safety and accessibility of property sidewalks or walkways. The act of walking may benefit businesses such as high street retail, restaurants, and tourism related activities. People will be spending less money on their vehicle with maintenance, fuel, and insurance. By providing an easy and comfortable pedestrian oriented environment, it can pay big dividends for area economic vitality and growth.

4. BENEFITS OF WALKING Environmental Benefits Economical Benefits Social Benefits Health Benefits Social Benefits Walking is increasing social capital , which is the connection between and within social networks. By achieving this, people will get to know their neighbours, gain trust and be socially engaged. Social justice is another important benefit to walking. (Not everyone owns a vehicle therefore they don't have the option to drive.) It makes a safe place for adult and specifically children by decreasing number of pedestrian injury through low speed running of vehicles. It is increasing the number of pedestrians to makes a culture and an alert for drivers to see the pedestrians more than before. Health Benefits Several health studies have established that walking leads to better mental and physical health , being a moderate intensity physical activity that improves cardio-vascular fitness and reduces stress. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), walking at least 30 minute per day decrease the level of obesity which makes risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, and higher amounts of anxiety and depression for people.

5. If not to Walk, Impact on Economic, Social and Environmental

6. There are no sidewalks; existing sidewalks are blocked or in poor repair. There are access issues for people with physical disabilities. Motorists drive too fast or do not yield to pedestrians. Crossing the street is dangerous. The community is not an inviting place to walk. There is concern about crime and walking at night. There isn't certain destinations within walking distance (i.e.: store, work). Children can't walk to school. Pedestrians act dangerously. Why people don't walk…………………… ??? There are solutions to all of these perceptions but it is very clear that people have negative perceptions on walking. However, Walking ensures basic mobility, warrants consumer cost savings and reduces external costs, allows efficient land use, provides liveability to community, improves fitness and public health (heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, depression, some types of cancer) enhances economic development, and supports for equity for the community.

7. How to get people to walk……..??? It needs to offer 4 things simultaneously: A Proper reason to walk (Balance of user). The walk has to be safe and feel safe (Reality and Perception). The walk has to be comfortable (Space and Orientation). The Walk has to be interesting (Sign of Humanity).

8. What makes a place “walkable”…. ??? It is suggested that a typical pedestrian friendly street should include the following elements: Good interconnection of streets with small blocks model. Narrower streets which are less favourable to vehicles speeds. Well designed intersection to provide safe crossing. Traffic calming to slow down vehicle speeds. Wide and continuous sidewalk fully accessible with a proper maintenance. Well-designed and marked crosswalks at intersections and where needed, and at mid-block locations. Appropriate use of signs and signals for both pedestrians and motorists. Planting buffers with landscaping and street trees that provide shelter and shade without obstructing sight distances.. Street lighting designed to pedestrian scale (e.g., shorter light poles and/or lower light fixtures that are designed to be effective in illuminating the pedestrian travel way). Street furnishings and public art intended like benches, trash receptacles, drinking fountains, and newspaper stands, which do not obstruct the pedestrian way.

9. The 7 C’s A comprehensive list of 7 dimensions , that define a walking friendly environment: Connectivity : The extent to which the pedestrian environment is linked; interfaced; joined; attached; networked; Convenience : The extent to which the pedestrian environment is appropriate; useful; proper; suitable; time-saving; Comfort : The extent to which the pedestrian environment is easy; pleasant; protected; relaxed; sheltered; untroubled; Conviviality : The extent to which the pedestrian environment is entertaining; lively; pleasant; sociable; Conspicuous : The extent to which the pedestrian environment is obvious; clear; discernible; distinct; perceptible; Coexistence : The extent to which the pedestrian and other transport modes can exist at the same time and place with order and peace; Commitment : The extent to which there exists engagement, liability and responsibility towards the pedestrian environment.

10. In Urban Design Context A number of urban design characteristics that were deemed to be essential in order to define walkability. Conceptual Framework

11. In Urban Design Context Imageability : the quality of a place that makes it distinct, recognizable, and memorable. Legibility : refers to the ease with which the spatial structure of a place can be understood and navigated as a whole. Enclosure : refers to the degree to which streets and other public spaces are visually defined by buildings, walls, trees, and other elements. Human Scale : refers to a size, texture, and articulation of physical elements that match the size and proportions of humans and, equally important, correspond to the speed at which humans walk. Transparency : refers to the degree to which people can see or perceive what lies beyond the edge of a street or other public space and, more specifically, the degree to which people can see or perceive human activity beyond the edge. Linkage : refers to physical and visual connections from building to street, building to building, space to space, or one side of the street to the other which tend to unify disparate elements. Complexity : refers to the visual richness of a place or the variety of the physical environment. Coherence : refers to a sense of visual order. Above urban design qualities, that come from quantifiable physical features, and impact both users’ reactions and overall walkability, are the following:

12. How to measure the walkability...??? As the definition said: “The extent to which the built environment is friendly to the presence of people living, shopping, visiting, enjoying or spending time in an area. ” The closer an area is to amenities, the more “walkable” the area is .  In US, www.walkscore.com uses an algorithm to calculate an address’s walkability. An area is given a score between 0 to 100 depending on the number of amenities located within a one mile (or 1.6 kilometre) radius from an address. Walk Score has included a list of amenities that improve a location’s walk score. • A Centre : Walkable neighborhoods have a center , whether it's a main street or a public space. • People : Enough people for businesses to flourish and for public transit to run frequently. • Parks and public space : Plenty of public places to gather and play. • Pedestrian design : Buildings are close to the street, parking lots are relegated to the back. • Schools and workplaces : Close enough that most residents can walk from their homes. • Complete streets : Streets designed for bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit.

13. How to measure the walkability...??? A tool, called the  Walkability Index , to measure the characteristics of the physical environment that contribute to  walkable  (pedestrian-friendly, transit-supportive) neighbourhood design. Clean air initiative (2011) is an organization involved in finding the Walkability in Asian cities. For a pedestrian survey, they have recommended the following attributes to be considered: i ) Sidewalks/footpaths cleaner and wider ii) Low traffic volume on road iii) Obstacle free footpaths iv) Increased crossing points v) Effective street lighting vi) Easy access for disabled persons They also calculated the walk ability index in 30 major cities in India. The average Walkability of India was reported as 52. The best Walkability in the country according to this ranking was in Chandigarh (92). Walkability Index

14. The walk score is a number between 00 -100. Below are the general guidelines to evaluate the walk score: 90-100= walker’s paradise : owning a car isn’t necessary and most of the errands can be done by walking. 70-90= very walk able ; owning a car isn’t important. 50-70= some walk able locations ; some amenities might be at a walk able distance but everyday errands must require proper transportation facilities. 25 - 50 = Not Walkable ; only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must. 0 - 25 = Driving only ; virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car.

15. Method of calculating Walkability This method was developed by Ministry of Urban Road Development (MOUD), Government of India. They especially developed this method based on the Indian conditions. According to this method, walk ability index is a function of availability of footpath and pedestrian facility rating. Walkability Index = [(W1 x Availability of footpath) + (w2 x Pedestrian Facility rating)] - (1.1) Where, w1 and w2 are weights (assumed 50% for both) Availability of footpath = Footpath length / Length of major roads in the city - (1.2) Pedestrian Facility Rating = Score estimated based on opinion on available Pedestrian facility Using this walk ability index, MOUD assessed the quality of pedestrian infrastructure across 30 cities in India and found an average index of 0.52. The method considers the length of only those footpaths which are wider than 1.2m. The length of the major roads in the city is calculated using the city plan or a tape or Google maps.

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