Evaluation Of Walking Ability Research Articles

The mediating role of visual behavior in perceived walkability evaluation

ABSTRACT Past studies used street-view images to directly analyze the effect of visual environments on perceived walkability. There is a gap in understanding how eye movement mediates the results of perceived walkability evaluations. The study proposed a method to transform the vector coordinates of gaze into the coordinates of panoramic photos. Then, we used mixed linear regressions and a simple mediation model to reveal the mediating role of visual behavior on perceived walkability evaluations. The results showed that: (1) Fixation has an incomplete mediating role in the impact of visual information on perceived walkability. (2) Most streetscape elements with long fixation duration impacted perceived walkability. (3) In the visual information model, the tree and streetlight negatively impacted perceived walkability. And the gutter positively impacted perceived walkability. However, in the fixation model, the tree and streetlight positively impacted perceived walkability. The gutter negatively impacted perceived walkability. This study offers scholars and policymakers a novel perspective on understanding perceived walkability.

Walking performance in individuals with lumbar spinal stenosis—possible outcome measures and assessment of known-group validity

BACKGROUND CONTEXTOne of the primary goals of treatments received by individuals with lumbar spinal stenosis with neurogenic claudication is to improve walking ability. Thus, a thorough and valid assessment of walking ability in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis is needed. Duration of continuous walking and steps per day could be relevant when evaluating walking ability in daily living. PURPOSETo describe and evaluate a method for estimating continuous walking periods in daily living and to evaluate the known-group validity of steps per day in individuals with lumbar spinal stenosis. STUDY DESIGNThis is a cross-sectional observational study. PATIENT SAMPLEThe study contains three study groups: individuals with lumbar spinal stenosis, individuals with low back pain, and a background population from the Lolland-Falster Health Study (LOFUS). OUTCOME MEASURESParticipants in all three study groups wore an accelerometer on the thigh for seven days. METHODSAccelerometer data were processed to summarize the continuous walking periods according to their length: the number of short (4–9 seconds), moderate (10–89 seconds), and extended (≥90 seconds) continuous walking periods per day, and the number of steps per day. Results from the three groups were compared using negative binomial regression with lumbar spinal stenosis as the reference level. RESULTSContinuous walking periods of moderate length were observed 1.48 (95% CI 1.27, 1.72) times more often in individuals from the background population than in individuals with LSS. Continuous walking periods of extended length were observed 1.53 (95% CI 1.13, 2.06) times more often by individuals with low back pain and 1.60 (95% CI 1.29, 1.99) times more often by individuals from the background population. The number of steps per day was 1.22 (95% CI 1.03, 1.46) times larger in individuals with LBP and 1.35 (95% CI 1.20, 1.53) times larger in individuals from background population. CONCLUSIONSThe impact of neurogenic claudication on walking ability in daily living seems possible to describe by continuous walking periods along with steps per day. The results support known-group validity of steps per day. This is the next step toward a clinically relevant and comprehensive assessment of walking in daily living in individuals with lumbar spinal stenosis.

Measuring Perceived Walkability at the City Scale Using Open Data

The walkability of the built environment has been shown to be critical to the health of residents, and open data have been widely used to assess walkability. However, previous research has focused on the relationship between the built environment and walking behavior rather than perceived walkability, and there is a lack of systematic research on walkability at the urban scale using open data. This paper presents a methodological framework for systematically measuring and assessing perceived walkability at the urban scale, considering general and specific features. The walkability indices are obtained using variables from open data or calculated automatically through machine learning and algorithms to ensure they can be evaluated at a larger urban scale. The proposed method is applied to Harbin, China, to assess the perceived walkability of streets using hundreds of thousands of street view images and points of interest obtained from open data. The results are compared with a subjective evaluation of walkability to validate the proposed method. The results demonstrate that measures of the urban built environment can describe perceived walkability. Thus, the proposed framework shows promise for assessing the walkability of urban spaces, supporting policy proposals, and establishing design guidelines for optimising urban spaces.

Visualization analysis of research progress for walkability

The study of walkability is of great significance to the construction of healthy cities. In this paper, taking 1283 articles of walkability, which were included in Web of Science, as the research object. This paper adopts to analysis the research progress by using the method of scientometrics and knowledge networks analysis. Objectively and systematically analyze the research progress of walkability abroad from the aspects of publication overview, knowledge foundation, research direction and hot spots, etc. It is found that foreign researches on walkability mainly include three core directions: walkability and physical activity, walkability evaluation, walkability and urban design. Among them, walkability and physical activity orientation have been studied from various perspectives, such as various groups, various environmental types, different behavioral patterns and various chronic diseases. With the increasingly prominent urbanization problems and the rapid development of new technologies, multiple data, new methods and interdisciplinary cooperation will actively promote the vigorous development of walking suitability research.

Influence of changes in pelvic anteversion during gait on walking ability and physical function in patients with adult spinal deformity: A cross-sectional study

Evaluation of gait posture using a three-dimensional motion analysis system (3DMAS) revealed that elderly patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) experience pelvic anteversion while walking. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of changes in pelvic anteversion during gait on walking ability and physical function in patients with ASD. Fifty-four patients with ASD aged 50 years or older who were admitted to our hospital between March 2016 and December 2021 were included in the study. The 6-min walking distance (6MWD) was used to evaluate walking ability, and trunk and hip extensor strength were measured to evaluate physical function in the subjects. The 3DMAS was used to measure the subject's changes in pelvic anteversion during gait. After measuring the changes in pelvic anteversion, the median value of the study subjects was calculated, according to which the subjects were divided into two groups (small anteversion [S] group, large anteversion [L] group). Walking ability and physical function were compared between the two groups. The number of subjects in each group was 27. Comparisons of walking ability and physical function between the groups revealed significant differences in 6MWD (S group, 333.6±111.2m; L group, 238.0±106.3m) and hip extensor strength (S group, 15.8±3.8 kgf; L group, 13.4±4.4 kgf). No significant differences regarding trunk extensor strength were observed between the groups (S group, 15.2±4.0 kgf; L group, 12.9±4.8 kgf). The results of the present study revealed that ASD patients with greater pelvic anteversion associated with walking have lower walking ability and physical function. These results suggest the importance of evaluating the posture of ASD patients not only by using radiographic findings but also by assessing movement, such as gait posture.

Translation and validation of the multiple sclerosis walking scale 12 for the German population – the MSWS-12/D

BackgroundGait impairment is a relevant problem in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). The Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale 12 (MSWS-12) is a valid Patient Reported Outcome Measure (PROM) to evaluate walking ability in pwMS. The aim of this study was to provide a linguistically valid translation of MSWS-12 into German language (MSWS-12/D) and to evaluate its psychometric properties.MethodsThe MSWS-12 was translated in a process modified from guidelines for the cross-cultural adaption of PROMs, and a pre-test was applied in a small sample of 20 pwMS to evaluate comprehensibility and acceptance. Psychometric properties (floor and ceiling effects, internal consistency, construct validity) were then assessed in 124 pwMS seen at academic MS centers. Construct validity was evaluated against Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and maximum gait speed in the Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW).ResultsAlthough the sample covered a wide spectrum of symptom severity, the majority had rather low levels of disability (EDSS median 2.0) and 6.5% scored EDSS of 0. In this sample, MSWS-12/D showed floor effects (36% with score 0) and for internal consistency, a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.98 was calculated. MSWS-12/D score showed a relevant correlation to EDSS (ρ = 0.73) and T25FW speed (r=-0.72).ConclusionWe provide MSWS-12/D as a linguistically valid German version of MSWS-12. Psychometric properties (acceptance, floor and ceiling effects, internal consistency and construct validity) in pwMS were similar to those described for the original version. This indicates that MSWS-12/D can be applied as equivalent to the original version in German speaking pwMS. Results support the relevance of PROMs to capture patient perception of walking ability in addition to performance-based assessments such as maximum walking speed or maximum walking distance.

A comprehensive walkability evaluation system for promoting environmental benefits

Pedestrian-oriented urban strategies such as the Paris 15-minute City are needed to respond to the global boiling. Quantitative evaluation of pedestrian-oriented urban objectives is important for various cities, and in this paper, a walkability evaluation system for the advanced model is developed considering the characteristics of a large city. The system calculates the walkability of Seoul. The evaluation system uses the Betweenness index as a weight in the urban network analysis. Considering stations with a high betweenness in urban traffic is essential for evaluating a pedestrian-oriented metropolis. Our findings in this study are that the UNA index in WES is critical for transit-oriented, walkable cities. The large city needs to find the location for mobility hubs or stations to observe the last mile. Installing a mobility hub or station at a high-value location in the city center is functionally important. In a pedestrian-oriented city, citizens can walk and bike the last mile in a busy city center. Walkable cities can encourage active transport and ultimately create more sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation systems. This study offers valuable insights into pedestrian infrastructure, urban systems, and policies that promote green transportation.

Determining the characteristics of gait variability with a preferred walking speed in hypertensive and normotensive participants

IntroductionGait variability is a measure of the changes in a person's walking pattern over time. Gait variability may be a useful marker of balance and coordination in people with hypertension. The objective of this investigation was to assess and contrast the gait variability exhibited by hypertensive and normotensive individuals at their preferred walking speed. MethodsA total of fifty-six participants {hypertensive (N = 28) and normotensive (N = 28)} were selected for this cross-sectional study. Their anthropometric characteristics were as mean age: 40.64 ± 6.24years; height 174.87 ± 3.45 cm, body weight 73.76 ± 6.63 kg; body mass index 23.34 ± 4.24 kg/m2. The automatic blood pressure monitor was utilized for the measurement of blood pressure. Gait variability was measured using a Physilog inertial sensors from GaitUp that recorded the gait variability parameters. Each participant walked on a 15-m straight and zero-level hard surface at a self-preferred speed. Anthropometric data were analyzed using a t-test. Whereas the gait variability parameters were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test. ResultSignificant differences were found for anthropometric characteristics, except for the height (p = .068). The significant differences between the hypertensive and normotensive participants have been shown as variability during the complete gait performance (z = 6.54,p = .000), Asymmetry between left and right foot (z = 6.54,p = .000), full speed during gait performance (z = 6.55,p = .000) was found. ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that hypertensive individuals have higher gait variability compared to normotensive individuals. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring gait variability in hypertensive individuals as it may be a useful marker for evaluating walking ability and cardiovascular health. The underlying mechanisms that lead to the greater gait variability in hypertensive people need to be further studied.

DESIGNING A FOSS4G-BASED WALKABLE LIVING AREA PLANNING SUPPORT MODULE TO ASSISTS THE KOREAN 15-MINUTE CITY

Abstract. In Korea, there have been conversations about promoting the planning of walkable communities based on Chrono-Urbanism, a concept that is the foundation of the 15-minute city, in which residents can get services necessary for their daily life in the same place where they live. Chrono-Urbanism-based planning support assesses the walkability of services for various age groups based on the distance to reach physical activity centers such as walking and bicycling from small living area units, and places essential living infrastructure or urban amenities. Using Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G), we create a tool that supports the evaluation of walkability and the distribution of urban amenities while taking age groups, walking, bicycle, and public transportation accessibility into account. In conclusion, this tool can measure and distribute urban amenities based on walkability providing a way to create healthier, more equitable living areas. Implementing the tool to produce a range of alternatives will help planners to learn about desirable walkable urban amenity options from the alternatives.

A Literature Review of Parameter-Based Models for Walkability Evaluation

Many scientific papers that deal with the topic of the pedestrian environment use a predefined form for assessing or evaluating its quality as a basic methodological instrument. The aim of this research is to emphasize the dimension of the available audit tools or methodologies in order to develop a full-scale database of indices that can be used for the measurement and evaluation of the pedestrian environment. By analyzing 115 research papers selected according to predefined selection criteria, the basic methodological apparatus or the evaluation instrument was observed. Based on the analysis carried out in this way, a number of 40 valid instruments were identified by which it was possible to evaluate the pedestrian environment. The observed instruments have a high level of reliability according to the high values of the ICC coefficient, IRR test, or Kappa value. There are 193 items for the evaluation of the pedestrian environment that were derived from the observed instruments. The items were arranged over seven groups regarding the quality of the pedestrian environment, namely, Functionality, Safety, Comfort, Mobility, Environment, Connectivity, and Aesthetics. On average, the items distributed over those seven groups are in use throughout the entire pool of instruments at the level of 47.41% across all groups. There are 30 instruments or methodologies that are objectively based, 4 subjectively oriented, and 6 with elements of both approaches. Of the instruments, 14 measure and assess the pedestrian environment through a quantitative data set, while 20 are designed for qualitative assessment. Only six of the instruments contain both qualitative and quantitative measuring items. A large percentage of analyzed papers that use a predefined methodology or instrument indicate the need to deepen the field of research and to include additional aspects that would give more authoritative results.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Walkability in Historical Cities: The Case of Xi’an and Kyoto

Walkability is an important indicator of sustainable urban development, especially in fragmented historical blocks affected by modern development efforts. Xi’an, China, and Kyoto, Japan, which are among the oldest cities in Asia, have similar historical backgrounds and a grid-based street network that differs from European historical cities. They also have their own distinctive development characteristics. This study uses a novel quantitative approach to identify areas for improvement in the historical built environment of the two cities that, as part of an overall effort to create a pedestrian-friendly urban center, will promote and facilitate walking activities. The proposed method combines macro- and micro-aspects to identify factors that can either improve or hinder the walking environment. It was found that to ensure a walkable environment in its historical blocks, Xi’an will need to consider the potential negative impact on walkability as it pursues increased modernization. The built environment and the infrastructure of its streets need to be improved, and its historical streetscape and vegetation characteristics need to be maintained. As for Kyoto, to ensure a favorable walking environment, the focus should be on improving the vitality of its streets.

다이나믹 테이핑 적용 상태에서의 신경발달물리치료가 발 처짐 증상을 가진 뇌졸중 환자의 정적 및 동적 균형, 보행 기능에 미치는 장기 효과

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Neuro Development Treatment (NDT) treatment using dynamic taping of static and dynamic balance and gait function in stroke patients with foot drop. In this study, a total of 21 stroke patients with foot drop were randomly assigned to NDT treatment with dynamic taping training group and NDT treatment with sham taping training control group. Limit of Stability (LoS) and Berg Balance Test (BBS) were used to evaluate static and dynamic balance and gait function. To evaluate walking ability, 10Meter-Walking Test (10MWT) and Time Up and Go Test (TUG) tests were conducted. The intervention was performed five times a week for four weeks. Each session lasted 60 minutes twice a day. The experimental group received NDT treatment after attaching dynamic tape to tibialis anterior and peroneus longus, and the control group was provided with NDT treatment after attaching the sham tape. The results of this study confirmed that NDT treatment with dynamic taping was effective in improving static and dynamic balance and gait in stroke patients with foot drop and can be used as an effective interventional method in physical therapy to improve balance and gait in such patients.

Higher levels of physical activity is associated with better walking ability and fall-related fitness of older adults during COVID-19 in China

This study analyzed the relationship of physical activity levels with walking ability and fall-related fitness in older adults in the Henan Provence, China. Physical activity levels of 288 older adults were assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The participants were divided into low (LPAG, n = 81), moderate (MPAG, n = 106), and high physical activity groups (HPAG, n = 101). The 10-m walking test (10MWT), 3-m backward walking (3MBW), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were used to evaluate walking ability. Thirty seconds Sit to Stand Test (30SST), Time up and Go Test (TUGT), and figure-of-8 walk test (8WT) were evaluated for fall-related fitness. One-way ANOVA was used to detect between group differences, whilst Pearson’s correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between total physical activity level and the measured variables. Logistic regression analyses were used to compute the odds ratios (ORs) of LPAG and MPAG relative to HPAG. There were significant differences between the groups for walking ability, 10MWT (p < 0.01), 3MBW, and BBS (p < 0.01), and also for variables of fall-related fitness, TUGT (p < 0.01), and 8WT (p < 0.01). Total physical activity levels had significant correlations with all variables except 30SST. In the walking ability, OR for 10MWT was 2.42 and 2.53 times for the LPAG compared to that for HPAG by model 1 and model 2. OR for BBS was 3.24 and 3.54 times for the LPAG and 9.31 and 9.65 times for the MPAG compared to for the HPAG by model 1 and model 2. In the fall-related fitness, OR for 8WT was 14.09 and 16.76 times for the LPAG compared to that for HPAG. High levels of physical activity are positively correlated with good walking ability and fall-related fitness. Increasing physical activity levels can reduce the risks associated with impaired walking ability and fall-related fitness.

Active transportation in high density residential areas in Lembah Pantai during pandemic COVID 19

Before the pandemic, most studies on active transportation focused on socioeconomic factors, how many cars people had, and how much it cost to own a car. Comfort, safety, and accessibility are the aspects of active transportation that have been talked about the most in previous studies. However, none of them have looked at active transportation as a way to increase the value of residential properties, whether or not the people who live there use active transportation. So, the right neighbourhood, which would have benefited from good planning and infrastructure, couldn't take advantage of the chance. With restrictions on movement and orders to work from home, the question is raised of whether different socioeconomic groups are well represented in active transportation. Even though residential developers and governments are putting more effort into making better amenities and infrastructure for active mobility, there is no evidence that the two are related. Nonetheless, active transportation is utilized to promote an active lifestyle and market properties. This study adds to an original case study evaluation of walkability and active transportation in Lembah Pantai by adding to what we know about active transportation.

Is walkability equitably distributed across socio-economic groups? – A spatial analysis for Lisbon metropolitan area

The development of sustainable and equitable cities is on most international and national agendas – and the promotion of a walkable environment is crucial for sustainable development. Although it seems plausible to assume that walkable environments are not always equally distributed among socio-economic groups in dense metropolitan areas, we lack empirical knowledge. This paper, therefore, evaluates the relationship between the socio-economic characteristics of the population of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Portugal) and the distribution of walkable environments, focusing exclusively on the urban part of the metropolitan area.Walkability was captured by design, diversity and density indicators, together with access to green areas and public transportation, and including slope. Inequity was measured using the Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient. An index based on a principal component analysis was created to describe socio-economic characteristics.Our results reveal a spatial autocorrelation of all considered indicators. The SES indicators have a smaller Global Moran's I compared with the walkability indicators. At local level, walkability is associated with a higher degree of clustering, suggesting an unequal distribution. The most unequally-distributed indicator is public transport accessibility, which is crucial for household budgets and has a higher impact on low-income populations.The evaluation of walkability and socio-economic status can be a useful guide for interventions that seek to provide walkable environments and prioritize the most deprived populations, and develop public policies that can reduce social and geographical inequity.

Walkability assessment of metro catchment area: A machine learning method based on the fusion of subject-objective perspectives.

China's metro system is developing rapidly. Walking is the most frequently adopted mode to connect to the metro, the attributes of the pedestrian-built environment around the stations directly influence people's willingness to use the metro. However, few studies have paid attention to the comprehensive assessments of the built environment in the metro catchment area. Thus, this paper attempts to construct a walkability evaluation model that combines subjective and objective perspectives. We collected field data of the built environment factors affecting on walkability in the 800 m buffer zone of eight case metro stations in Dalian city, China. We also collected on-site interviews from 867 passengers to evaluate the walkability. A machine learning-based approach was developed to calculate the weights of walkability variables, followed by constructing a Score-Effectiveness framework to identify the built environment factors in the metro catchment area that need to be improved. The study found that the shading facilities, obstacle barriers, and resting seats around pedestrian walkways are the most efficient and imbalanced variables recognized by the crowd. The convenience of overpasses and underpasses are additional efficient imbalance-type variables for leisure and commuting populations, respectively. This indicates that the current level of construction of the above five built environment factors is relatively low, but the construction has a significant impact on the degree of friendliness in supporting pedestrian walkability. In this paper, improvement measures are proposed in a targeted manner in order to achieve the effect of effectively improving the current level of metro catchment area's walkability. The results of the study can provide references to provide strategies for precise pedestrian planning in the metro catchment area, leading to a pedestrian environment with high walking quality.

Integrating GIS, deep learning, and environmental sensors for multicriteria evaluation of urban street walkability

The walkability of urban streets (WoUS) benefits public health and urban livability, but there is still no consensus on the quantitative and comprehensive evaluation of walkability. However, emerging deep-learning, sensor-network, and GIS technologies suggest the possibility of overcoming previous limitations. Therefore, this study explores a new approach for multicriteria evaluation of WoUS, including physical and perceived walkability. After capturing street-view images, traffic-flow data, and environmental-sensor data covering the streets to be analyzed, we automatically calculate physical walkability from four criteria (walkability index, street quality, traffic flow, and physical environment). We first integrate 2-dimensional analysis of walk score, noise, and light using GIS, then perform 3-dimensional composition calculations of greenery, enclosure, and relative walking width using semantic segmentation, vehicle density using multi-object tracking, and indicator weighting distributions using an analytic hierarchy process. Perceived walkability is evaluated by a hierarchy of walking needs model comprising feasibility, accessibility, safety, comfort, and pleasurability. As an empirical study, we conduct an experiment within Anonymous University for physical and perceived walkability evaluations. The results indicate that with perceived WoUS as a benchmark, the automated physical WoUS results reveal the strengths in data integration and processing that are feasible, reliable, and cost-effective. This was an initial attempt at constructing an integrated research methodology for WoUS from various walking-related variables. This framework could support designers as an assistive tool for generating both quantitative and qualitative judgments from various criteria and recommending walkable pedestrians paths to motivate people to walk further, longer, and more often, rather than providing the shortest paths based on a path-finding algorithm.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Walkability in the Main Urban Area of Xi’an

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the mobility of individuals everywhere. This has been especially true in China, where many restrictions, including lockdowns, have been widely applied. This paper discusses the impact of the pandemic on walkability, an important factor in promoting urban neighborhoods, in the main urban area of Xi’an, China, one of China’s four great ancient capitals. Based on the street view data obtained before and after the pandemic, the paper quantitatively compares changes in specific components of selected streetscapes through a deep learning (DL) street view analysis. The aim is to identify the impact of the pandemic on walkability and determine the elements that influence increased walkability in Xi’an’s historical area, using a walkability evaluation model based on a regression analysis involving three factors (streetscape components, walkability check scores, and street connectivity of space syntax for every image). Although Xi’an’s urban structure did not change significantly, the pandemic has clearly impacted street vitality, especially in terms of reducing pedestrian flow and commercial value. Based on study results, the street environment has great room for improvement, especially in the city’s historical blocks, by reconsidering safety measures to pedestrians and the important role of atmospheric aspects on the streets.

거리 영상과 시멘틱 세그먼테이션을 활용한 보행환경 평가 지표 개발

The pedestrian environment is a very important element in the daily life of citizens as both an individual domain and a public space. As the importance of the pedestrian environment has been recognized, a systematic survey is needed at the national level, such as stipulating by law that local governments across the country conduct a survey of the pedestrian environment every five years. However, the survey on the pedestrian environment does not deviate from the existing limitations in the survey methodology, such as relying on field surveys in some areas. This study aimed to develop a walkability evaluation index using high-resolution streetview images and deep learning technology. To develop a walkability evaluation index, a draft of the walkability evaluation index was developed based on a review of domestic and foreign literature and a study on the evaluation of the walkability using deep learning technology. In order to confirm the possibility of constructing the derived walkability evaluation index, the final index was proposed after examining the accuracy of the result of semantic segmentation of streetview images and the possibility of obtaining necessary data. As for the derived walkability evaluation indicators, it was suggested to use 8 indicators in 4 categories: safety, convenience, comfort, and accessibility. The results of this study break away from the limitations of existing walkability studies based on field observation surveys and surveys, provide an opportunity for intelligent urban research using high-resolution streetview images and deep learning technology, and perform pedestrian environment evaluation tasks more efficiently.

Measure the ability of cities to be biked via weighted parameters, using GIS tools. The case study of Zografou in Greece

During the past decades, unlike other countries of the European community, Greek society excluded bicycle from its everyday life, both as a solution for sports and recreation, as well as a transport mode. However, in the last few years, maybe due to the economic crisis, people in Greece began to consider cycling, again, in their daily routine. In this context, the present paper endeavours to examine and evaluate the ability to cycle in the complex urban environment of Greek cities. Therefore, this study develops a method for assessing bikeability, based on international literature and related walkability evaluation methods. Initially, a literature review was conducted to identify those parameters that positively affect the suitability of a cycling route. Afterwards, we developed linear scales to transform the quantitative data into scores ranging from 0 to 10, in order to be comparable. In the next step we used participative Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in order to weight each parameter and identify its significance. Lastly, we formulated the final bikeability index. The chosen case study is the Municipality of Zografou, which constitutes one of the most significant municipalities in Athens, combining all aspects of a modern city: a liveable central area, university campuses, high residential density and traffic congestion problems. The results indicate that the overall bikeabilty index of Zografou is quite low, specifically it equals to 3,7/10 meaning that most of the road sections are not suitable or attractive for cycling. This paper provides fruitful insights about the issue of bikeability in urban areas and mostly its spatial dimension and it could be used as decision making tool for stakeholders and planners.