An analysis of the relationship between pedestrian traffic volumes and built environment around metro stations in Seoul

Abstract

The success of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) significantly depends on the capacity of pedestrians to navigate and access the range of land uses in close proximity to transit stations. In this context, creating pedestrian-friendly environments around transit stations is considered to be the core of TOD strategies. The concept of a “station catchment area” was employed extensively in the early stage of developing TOD strategies to designate target areas where urban design strategies or regulations for TOD can be implemented. This study primarily aims to expand our knowledge about factors in the built environment that affect walking trips around metro station catchment areas. The study focuses on analyzing the associations between pedestrian traffic volume in the streets and characteristics of built environments, particularly at the street and the neighborhood levels around metro stations based on the street’s proximity to the closest metro station. The findings indicate that the relationships between walking and built environment vary according to the proximity to the metro station. In particular, there was considerable differences in the relationship between pedestrian traffic volume and the built environment factors at the distance of 400m from the station. Pedestrians near metro stations tend to prefer walking on wider streets, whereas narrower streets were preferred in areas further from the metro station. Finally, street connectivity and mixed land use were the most consistent predictors of pedestrian traffic volume.