Using expert decision-making to establish indicators of urban friendliness for walking environments: a multidisciplinary assessment.

Yen-Cheng Chiang,Han-Yu Lei

doi:10.1186/s12942-016-0071-7

Abstract

BackgroundNumerous studies have suggested that friendly walking environments positively affect physical activity and health. Creating friendly walking environments in urban areas is a complex and wide-ranging topic, and no study has yet established a set of assessment indicators by drawing on the expertise of various disciplines. This study uses a multiple-criteria decision-making technique to elucidate the environmental factors that affect the friendliness of the walking environment.MethodsWe conducted a two-phase expert questionnaire survey. Experts from the government sector, as well as the academic disciplines of urban planning, transportation, architecture, and landscape design, were recruited to establish a set of walking environment indicators; the degrees of importance assigned to these indicators by the experts were subsequently compared. In phase 1, the fuzzy Delphi method was used by 20 experts, whose responses were used to identify four dimensions and 22 indicators. In phase 2, an analytical network process approach was performed by 16 experts to determine the weights of the dimensions and indicators.ResultsThe results revealed that all of the experts ranked the four dimensions in the order of safety > facilities > aesthetics > land use mix. Of the 22 indicators, land use–diversity, land use–access, sidewalk width, sidewalk continuity, and cleanliness were considered the most important.ConclusionsThe results provide a reference for the management of walking environments by promoting pedestrian-oriented environments and public health.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12942-016-0071-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Highlights

Numerous studies have suggested that friendly walking environments positively affect physical activity and health
Land use refers to the distributions of land with diverse uses; urban design refers to the landscape and the exterior, arrangement, and layout of buildings in a neighborhood; and transportation systems are the infrastructure or facilities that connect destinations [7, 8]
Another study found that New York residents who lived farther from areas with pedestrian-oriented uses were less likely to engage in physical activity, and that social engagement was highly correlated with walking [4]

Summary

Introduction

Numerous studies have suggested that friendly walking environments positively affect physical activity and health. Creating friendly walking environments in urban areas is a complex and wide-ranging topic, and no study has yet established a set of assessment indicators by drawing on the expertise of various disciplines. As a part of a built environment, walking environments typically comprise three aspects: land use, urban design, and transportation systems. The construction of a walking environment encompasses a range of complex challenges and consists of four disciplines: urban planning, transportation, architecture, and landscape design. Another study found that New York residents who lived farther from areas with pedestrian-oriented uses were less likely to engage in physical activity, and that social engagement was highly correlated with walking [4]. Increasing the accessibility of social venues enhances the probability of walking

Methods

Results

Conclusion