Abstract
Walking is the most sustainable form of transportation. It is the socially equitable, economically viable and environmentally friendly mode of transportation. However, transportation technology has caused the desertion of the pedestrian space due to excessively motorized transport. Consequently, the pedestrian environment has degraded. In many cities, the abandonment of the pedestrian space has created a socially unfriendly environment. Walkability is a measure of how friendly an area is to walk. In measuring walkability, several criteria are considered, which include inter alia, the quality of pedestrian facilities, roadway conditions, land use patterns, community support, security and comfort for walking. Findings from studies are mixed; some stated that improving the built environment does not encourage people to walk more; however, there are other studies that indicated otherwise. The aim of this paper is to review the built environment characteristics that promote walking. A literature review of studies that focused on walking, walkability, the built environment, pedestrian and urban design was conducted. This study has searched the electronic databases that intertwined with the Web of Science database. The choice was made due to the comprehensiveness of quality academic studies indexed in the database, thus providing reliable sources of body of work. The database integrates numerous sub-databases such as Web of Science Core Collection, Derwent Innovations Index, KCI Korean Journal Database, Russian Science Citation Index and SciELO Citation Index. The data are then thematically coded. The fields of urban planning, urban design, geography, transportation, sociology, and other related areas were included in the research. The result of this review offers evidence to the criteria that promote walking. The review found that three criteria are somewhat constant in promoting walking, namely, population and building density, land use and land use mixes, and safety. In short, by making an area perceived as safe with the presence of land use mixes and density are the best combination to create a walkable environment.
Highlights
Walking is the most sustainable form of transportation
This analysis presents that these three themes received much attention from the literature, which demonstrates that the importance of these three themes to be examined in walkability and built environment research
Analysis of the provisions of the Strategy shows that the above intergovernmental health organization entrusts national governments, represented by the ministries of health, with developing the components of the Strategy for combating Coronavirus infection and implementation of the International Health Regulations provisions on their own, giving only general guidelines
Summary
Walking is the most sustainable form of transportation. It is the socially equitable, economically viable and environmentally friendly mode of transportation most accessible to the masses. Advancement in transportation technology has caused the desertion of the pedestrian spaces due to the availability of primarily motorized transport. Jacobs (1961) in her book, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961)” advocated a vibrant urban life that promotes pedestrian activity. This seminal book emphasizes cities as social connector, a hub where people can enjoy each other and appreciate the vitality of the community. The results of the study revealed that social interaction factors and walkability among pedestrian environment factors positively influence a sense of community. These findings are in line with the New Urbanists’ belief that a high-quality pedestrian environment will enhance sense of community by increasing opportunities for interaction among neighbors
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