Assessing the walkability of pedestrian environment under the transit-oriented development

Abstract

In recent years, considerable interests in improved walking environments have been generated to encourage non-motorized transportation modes to reduce pollution emissions and to improve public health. The transit-oriented development (TOD) model has become one of the effective priority solutions. TOD planning gives us an idea that urban design factors and a pedestrian-friendly design are positive planning factors in reducing automobile use through the reduction of automobile traffic speed and enhancing pedestrian accessibility to a transit center. To investigate the pedestrian needs and the walkability design for TOD is the aim for aiding in identifying an approach that would allow an appropriate assessment of the walking environment and justification for improvements.The purpose of this study is to improve and enhance the city design of the pedestrian space in a city. Furthermore, we hope to meet the needs of users and utilize the existing resources in order to achieve the maximum benefits. To solve this complex problem, we apply multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) technique to the specific problem. Using the top down and bottom up together technique named house of quality (HOQ) matrix combined with analytic network process (ANP), we can realize the relationships between the technical requirements and the pedestrian needs of the planning and design issues of the walkability under the transit-oriented development. In this way, we can establish an objective and effective urban pedestrian space design model. Finally, in order to illustrate the research problem more practically, we take the MRT station of Xindian in New Taipei City, Taiwan as the empirical example.