Improving walkability in a TOD context: Spatial strategies that enhance walking in the Belém neighbourhood, in São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is an urban planning strategy that structures urban development at a walking distance from mass public transport stations. Walkability is a central concept in TOD policies. The objective of this paper is to identify and analyse the physical features of the built environment that may impact walkability within the São Paulo TOD context. The study intends to highlight the importance of using spatial strategies to qualify the public realm to support the implementation of TOD.Spatial characteristics of the built environment influencing walkability from the literature were tested in the TOD precinct of the Belém metro station, which served as a case study. The distribution of the public open space between the transport modes was quantified. Then, the physical walking conditions and the associated pedestrian traffic and behaviour were analysed. Finally, pedestrians were asked to classify certain spatial characteristics according to their importance for walking.The study showed: safety and security are the most important attributes of public open spaces for pedestrians; land use diversity and commercial ground-floor façades positively influence walkability at the micro-scale; the design of public open spaces leads pedestrians to take unnecessary risks; and a large amount of space, presently dedicated to cars, can be allocated to improve walkability. Based on those findings, the paper highlights the importance of assessing urban development strategies at the micro scale, in order to identify conditions and aspects that are not present on the municipal level and proposes possible concrete actions, as a base to design comprehensive TOD policies that promote pedestrian-oriented public open spaces.