Walkability Research Articles

Air-conditioning anthropogenic heat in high-density residential areas: Spatial patterns and impacts

The overheated urban environment has drastically increased air-conditioning (AC) usage, which induces extensive heat emissions from outdoor units. This phenomenon is more adverse in high-density residential areas as the air-conditioning anthropogenic heat (ACAH) would further cause localized heat accumulation in canyons, negatively impacting AC energy consumption and residents’ comfort. While previous research has explored the impact of ACAH on urban canyons, there is a lack of studies that systematically investigate the pattern, impacts, and mitigations of ACAH at a refined scale in high-density residential areas. This study aims to investigate the temperature distribution under ACAH and quantify its impact on cooling energy consumption and pedestrian thermal discomfort. High-density residential areas were categorized by different heights of buildings and directions of outdoor unit placement. Numerical simulations were conducted to study ambient temperature distribution. Results showed that the worst heat accumulation was at the windward position of the AC outdoor unit, and the outdoor temperature on the middle floor was 2.3 °C higher than that on the upper floor, resulting in a higher energy consumption of 6.3 W/m2. The worst case with taller windward buildings caused 55 % of the pedestrian areas to be more uncomfortable. Mitigation strategies were also proposed from multiple perspectives, including heat source optimization (e.g., cross-layout of AC outdoor units) and offering subsidies for AC electricity consumption gaps. The study provides a systematic research perspective on spatial heat accumulation patterns in high-density residential areas, which is instructive for mitigating urban warming and promoting sustainable urban development.

Spatial Quality Measurement and Characterization of Daily High-Frequency Pedestrian Streets in Xi’an City

Spatial Quality Measurement and Characterization of Daily High-Frequency Pedestrian Streets in Xi’an City

DELTA: Integrating Multimodal Sensing with Micromobility for Enhanced Sidewalk and Pedestrian Route Understanding.

Urban environments are undergoing significant transformations, with pedestrian areas emerging as complex hubs of diverse mobility modes. This shift demands a more nuanced approach to urban planning and navigation technologies, highlighting the limitations of traditional, road-centric datasets in capturing the detailed dynamics of pedestrian spaces. In response, we introduce the DELTA dataset, designed to improve the analysis and mapping of pedestrian zones, thereby filling the critical need for sidewalk-centric multimodal datasets. The DELTA dataset was collected in a single urban setting using a custom-designed modular multi-sensing e-scooter platform encompassing high-resolution and synchronized audio, visual, LiDAR, and GNSS/IMU data. This assembly provides a detailed, contextually varied view of urban pedestrian environments. We developed three distinct pedestrian route segmentation models for various sensors-the 4K camera, stereocamera, and LiDAR-each optimized to capitalize on the unique strengths and characteristics of the respective sensor. These models have demonstrated strong performance, with Mean Intersection over Union (IoU) values of 0.84 for the reflectivity channel, 0.96 for the 4K camera, and 0.92 for the stereocamera, underscoring their effectiveness in ensuring precise pedestrian route identification across different resolutions and sensor types. Further, we explored audio event-based classification to connect unique soundscapes with specific geolocations, enriching the spatial understanding of urban environments by associating distinctive auditory signatures with their precise geographical origins. We also discuss potential use cases for the DELTA dataset and the limitations and future possibilities of our research, aiming to expand our understanding of pedestrian environments.

Injury characteristics and mortality in an emergency department in Ethiopia: a single-center observational study

IntroductionAn injury is described as any damage to the body that impairs health, and its severity can span from mild to life-threatening. On a global scale, injuries account for approximately 4.4 million deaths annually and are anticipated to become the seventh leading cause of death by 2030. In Ethiopia, injuries account for 7% of all deaths, with one of the world's highest rates of road traffic injuries. This study, undertaken at a primary trauma centre in the capital of Ethiopia, aimed to explore the characteristics of injured patients and emergency department mortality as the patient outcome. Understanding the patterns and outcomes of injuries helps to anticipate needs, prioritize patients, and allocate resources effectively.MethodsA retrospective single-center observational study utilised patient records from September 2020 to August 2021 at Addis Ababa Burn Emergency and Trauma Hospital, located in Ethiopia. A structured checklist facilitated the data collection. All patients arriving in the ED from September 2020 to August 2021 were eligible for the study while incomplete records (missing > 20% of wanted data elements) were excluded.ResultOf the 3502 injured patients recorded during the study period, 317 were selected. The mean patient age was 30 years, with 78.5% being male. About 8% arrived the emergency department within an hour after the injury. Ambulances transported 38.8% of patients; 58.5% of these were referred from other facilities. The predominant mechanism of injury both in and outside Addis Ababa was pedestrian road traffic injuries (31.4% and 38%). The predominant injury type was fractures (33.8%). The mortality rate was 5%, of which half were pedestrian road traffic incidents.ConclusionPedestrian road traffic injuries were the main cause of injury in and outside of Addis Ababa. A small proportion of patients arrived at the emergency department within the first hour after an injury event. A significant proportion of ambulance-transported patients were referred from other facilities rather than directly from the scene. The overall mortality rate was high, with pedestrian road traffic injury accounting for half of the proportion.

A computer vision system for detecting motorcycle violations in pedestrian zones

AbstractThis paper presents a system that relies on computer vision to identify instances of motorcycle violations in crosswalks utilizing CNNs. The system was trained and evaluated on a novel public dataset published by the authors, which contains traffic images classified into four categories: motorcycles in crosswalks, motorcycles outside crosswalks, pedestrians in crosswalks, and only motorbike outside. We demonstrate the viability of leveraging deep learning models such as YOLOv8 for this purpose and provide details on the training and performance of the model. This system has the potential to enable intelligent traffic enforcement to mitigate accidents in pedestrian zones; to develop the system, a dataset comprising over 6,000 images was amassed from publicly available traffic cameras and subsequently annotated. Several models, including YOLOv8, SSD, and MobileNet, were trained on this dataset. The YOLOv8 model attained the highest performance with a mean average precision of 84.6% across classes. The study presents the system architecture and training process. Results illustrate the potential of utilizing deep learning to detect traffic violations in pedestrian zones, which can promote intelligent traffic enforcement and improved safety.

Strategy for the development of a system of green areas of large industrial cities, using the example of the city of Volzhsky

This study examines the structure of the system of green areas (GA) of the city of Volzhsky, their relationship with the main functional zones and factors influencing the stability of this system. In the course of the study, it was revealed that the anthropogenic impact on the GA of the city of Volzhsky includes sources of pollution associated with the transport system and the industrial complex. The analysis of the system of GA showed an uneven distribution of such territories in the city, which, in turn, leads to the absence of recreational areas in the new part, which is a consequence of a decrease in the quality of the urban environment. The strategic direction of the territorial planning of the development of the city of Volzhsky should be to improve the quality of the urban environment by changing the stability of the system of GA in the old part of the city, where it is proposed to increase the area of landscaping along streets and on intra-block territories, as well as include disturbed landscapes in the system of GA. Within the framework of the general concept of the development of a system of GA, it is proposed to create pedestrian zones by developing green corridors that will connect the elements of the green framework of the city. In the old part of the city, the main corridor will be landscaping along the road transport network, as well as the main longitudinal rods of landscaping, in particular Gorky Street. At the same time, in the new part of the city, it is proposed to increase the area of limited-use landscaping and the development of environmental protection landscaping strips, which will allow the formation of a system of boulevards.

Pedestrian automatic emergency braking responses to a stationary or crossing adult mannequin during the day and night

Objective Automatic emergency braking systems with pedestrian detection (PAEB) are effective at preventing pedestrian crashes, but the safety benefits are not observed at night. This study used the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) PAEB test data to characterize PAEB responses in different lighting conditions and for different rated systems. Methods Data from 6,919 IIHS PAEB tests were retrieved from IIHS databases. Invalid trials, trials without AEB, and trials with outliers were removed leaving 5,894 trials from 212 model year 2018 to 2023 vehicles for analysis. PAEB responses were characterized by computing the time-to-collision (TTC) of forward collision warning (FCW) and AEB; brake threat number (BTN); mean deceleration; maximum deceleration; and maximum jerk. A linear mixed-effects model was used to predict each dependent measure with scenario (crossing adult, stationary adult), speed, rating (superior, basic/advanced), lighting (day, night with high beams, night with low beams), and their interactions. Vehicle was included as a random effect. A Bonferroni correction was applied to maintain a family-wise type-1 error rate of 0.05 across 138 total hypothesis tests. Results PAEB system warnings were later and automatic braking occurred later as speed increased at night with low beams but changed little at night with high beams and during the day (p < 0.0004). BTN increased more rapidly as speed increased at night with low beams compared with high beams and during the day (p < 0.0004). Based on the BTN model, on average, PAEB systems can brake to avoid the adult mannequin (BTN < 1) when closing speed is less than 67 km/h during the day and at night with high beams but only when closing speed is less than 49 km/h at night with low beams. Superior-rated PAEB systems warned and braked earlier compared with basic/advanced-rated systems (p < 0.0004). Conclusions Increased lighting from high beams made nighttime performance resemble daytime performance in controlled testing. Increasing output from vehicle low beams, increasing the use of high beams, and enhancing overhead lighting around crosswalks and pedestrian areas are all methods for increasing lighting, improving pedestrian conspicuity, and enhancing PAEB performance to prevent pedestrian crashes.

Exploring walking behaviour and perceived walkability of older adults in London

IntroductionThere is an emerging imperative to design walkable communities catering to older adults, particularly given the context of an increasingly aging population. However, studies of how older citizens perceive walkability remain scarce. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors that influence walking behaviours and perceived walkability among senior citizens, whilst also illuminating the associations between them. MethodsA quantitative analysis was conducted on 200 older individuals living in Ealing, London, an area with a large proportion of senior citizens. Utilising the self-developed Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale for Older Adults (NEWS-OA), based on the abbreviated version of NEWS, both linear and logistic regression models were employed to decode the data. ResultsOur results show that NEWS-OA is appropriate for assessing perceived walkability among senior citizens and reveal concerns regarding traffic safety. Communities with high walkability are likely to encourage an extended distance, duration, and frequency of walks. However, socioeconomic status (SES) was found to have a less pronounced effect on walking frequency and distance. The study further demonstrates that perceptions of safety were lower among older adults with a high SES. We found that positive perceptions of all the variables tested, except Aesthetics, encouraged walking. Furthermore, the study reveals the crucial influence of these perceptions on older adults’ inclination to walk for various purposes, such as the role of perceived safety in terms of social interaction. ConclusionsThis study offers insights that can be used to make London a more age-friendly and walkable city. It can also serve as a reference for other cities to enhance inclusiveness.

Agroecological problems of territorial communities in the Carpathian region and ways to solve them

The article examines the theoretical and practical issues of ecological situation problems, which are connected with the implementation of administrativeterritorial reform and decentralization reform in the country, which is accompanied by the unification of territorial communities and the organization of land territory, which consists in the social relations of landowners and land users, the assessment of real land use structures and optimal use of land resources. It is suggested that the united territorial communities adjust the ratio between destabilizing and stabilizing agricultural lands and bring the use of land resources closer to ecologically balanced development of nature management. The reasons for the problems of ecological situations are revealed and, after analyzing in detail the relationship between destabilizing and stabilizing agricultural lands, ways to solve them are proposed. It has been determined that reducing air pollution requires the joint efforts of governments, industry, the public and every individual. Due to the global nature of the problem, international cooperation and sharing of best practices also play a key role in finding effective solutions. Solutions to environmental problems are proposed, including reducing emissions, implementing and strictly enforcing environmental standards for industrial enterprises and vehicles, improving the efficiency of energy use and switching to cleaner fuels; development of public transport: encouraging the use of public transport, cycle paths and pedestrian zones to reduce the number of private cars on the roads; support for clean technologies; investing in the development and implementation of clean technologies, such as renewable energy sources (solar and wind energy), which reduce dependence on fossil fuels: urban greening; expanding green space in urban areas to absorb carbon and reduce air temperature. Trees and plants also help filter pollutants from the air.

The Association between Rainfall and Taxi Travel Activities: A Case Study from Wuhan, China

Rainfall has a significant impact on urban population mobility, posing great challenges to traffic management and urban planning. An understanding of this influence from multiple perspectives is urgently needed. In this study, we devised a multiscale comparative research framework to explore the spatiotemporal effects of rainfall on taxi travel patterns, aiming to provide a new perspective on the investigation of rainfall’s impact on urban human mobility. More specifically, at the macroscopic scale, we computed taxi travel indicators across the entire study area and used kernel density estimates to observe the spatiotemporal distribution patterns influenced by rainfall. Subsequently, complex traffic networks were constructed by considering urban road intersections as nodes and combined with visualization methods to understand changes in taxi travel patterns visually at the microscopic level. We selected Wuhan City, a typical urban area in southern China with frequent rainfall, as the study area and used meteorological data along with a large volume of taxi spatiotemporal trajectory data for investigation. Results indicated a 4.16% decrease in weekly travel volume due to rainfall, with a 3.96% decrease on workdays and a 4.64% decrease on weekends. However, nighttime rainfall between 19:00 and 22:00 on weekdays increased the demand for taxi travel. Furthermore, the impact of rainfall on weekends exceeded that on workdays, restricting people’s mobility and leisure activities, resulting in reduced travel to recreational tourist spots and commercial pedestrian streets. Rainfall altered residents’ travel preferences to some extent, with more residents choosing taxis during rainy weather, which led to decreased transportation efficiency and increased traffic congestion. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between population mobility patterns and the urban ecological environment, providing valuable insights for planning resident travel and taxi dispatching under adverse weather conditions.

Passive Control Measures of Wind Flow around Tall Buildings

The growth and diversification of tall buildings demands higher performance standards that encompass serviceability and resilience. In this respect, the control of air flow around tall buildings poses challenges to minimising the energy that could induce large vibrations or forces. The present investigation scrutinises the flow around a tall structure with variations on its surface roughness by adding balconies to the facade, as a form of passive control of the flow loads. This is conducted through flow simulations across optimised computational arrays that capture 3D effects. To illustrate the applicability of the proposed approach, two types of facades rotated 0∘, 90∘ and 180∘ are considered while focusing on pressure and vorticity fields. It was found that the presence of balconies produces zig-zag patterns on the face where they are located, whereas balconies on the front facade reduce drag with respect to the smooth case. Furthermore, buildings with balconies on their lateral faces experience some increase in drag force and the improvement of the aerodynamics around the lateral pedestrian zones. No qualitative variations between triangular and rectangular balconies were found, excepting some changes in pressure magnitude on the rear side induced by balconies placed on the front and rear facades. Through the comparison of results, it was confirmed that the findings align with previous studies undertaken for medium and low-rise buildings. This reinforces the proposal of using such passive control measures to improve the aerodynamic performance of tall buildings. The study enables the quantification of flow configurations and forces on the building’s faces. Some of the proposed passive control measures effectively mitigate pressure levels while causing large local disturbs on pressure and vorticity that should be attended to by designers of this type of facades.

Greened shopping spaces and pedestrian shopping interactions: the case of Christchurch

Greened shopping spaces and pedestrian shopping interactions: the case of Christchurch

The Effect of Green Stormwater Infrastructures on Urban-Tier Human Thermal Comfort—A Case Study in High-Density Urban Blocks

Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is a key approach to greening and cooling high-density blocks. Previous studies have focused on the impact of a single GSI on thermal comfort on sunny days, ignoring rainwater’s role and GSI combinations. Therefore, based on measured data of a real urban area in Nanjing, China, this study utilized 45 single-GSI and combination simulation scenarios, as well as three local climate zone (LCZ) baseline scenarios to compare and analyze three high-density blocks within the city. Among the 32 simulations specifically conducted in LCZ1 and LCZ2, 2 of them were dedicated to baseline scenario simulations, whereas the remaining 30 simulations were evenly distributed across LCZ1 and LCZ2, with 15 simulations allocated to each zone. The physiological equivalent temperature (PET) was calculated using the ENVI-met specification to evaluate outdoor thermal comfort. The objective of this research was to determine the optimal GSI combinations for different LCZs, their impact on pedestrian thermal comfort, GSI response to rainwater, and the effect of GSI on pedestrian recreation areas. Results showed that GSI combinations are crucial for improving thermal comfort in compact high-rise and mid-rise areas, while a single GSI suffices in low-rise areas. In extreme heat, rainfall is vital for GSI’s effectiveness, and complex GSI can extend the thermal comfort improvement time following rainfall by more than 1 h. Adding shading and trees to GSI combinations maximizes thermal comfort in potential crowd activity areas, achieving up to 54.23% improvement. Future GSI construction in high-density blocks should focus on different combinations of GSI based on different LCZs, offering insights for GSI planning in Southeast Asia.

Prediction model for future OHCAs based on geospatial and demographic data: An observational study.

This study used demographic data in a novel prediction model to identify areas with high risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in order to target prehospital preparedness. We combined data from the nationwide Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry with geographical- and demographic data on a hectare level. Hectares were classified in a hierarchy according to characteristics and pooled to square kilometers (km2). Historical OHCA incidence of each hectare group was supplemented with a predicted annual risk of at least 1 OHCA to ensure future applicability. We recorded 19,090 valid OHCAs during 2016 to 2019. The mean annual OHCA rate was highest in residential areas with no point of public interest and 100 to 1000 residents per hectare (9.7/year/km2) followed by pedestrian streets with multiple shops (5.8/year/km2), areas with no point of public interest and 50 to 100 residents (5.5/year/km2), and malls with a mean annual incidence per km2 of 4.6. Other high incidence areas were public transport stations, schools and areas without a point of public interest and 10 to 50 residents. These areas combined constitute 1496 km2 annually corresponding to 3.4% of the total area of Denmark and account for 65% of the OHCA incidence. Our prediction model confirms these areas to be of high risk and outperforms simple previous incidence in identifying future risk-sites. Two thirds of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests were identified in only 3.4% of the area of Denmark. This area was easily identified as having multiple residents or having airports, malls, pedestrian shopping streets or schools. This result has important implications for targeted intervention such as automatic defibrillators available to the public. Further, demographic information should be considered when implementing such interventions.

Abstract PS18-03: The Association between Food Deserts, Food Swamps, and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Mortality in the United States

Abstract Purpose: Breast cancer (BRCA), the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the United States (U.S.), is one of 13 obesity-related cancers. Healthy food consumption is a protective factor shown to decrease obesity risk and postmenopausal BRCA mortality, respectively. However, residing in geographical areas with no access to healthy food options (food deserts) or unhealthy food options (food swamps) reduces access to healthy foods and has been severely understudied. We examined the relationship between residing in food swamps and deserts with postmenopausal BRCA mortality. Methods: We conducted an ecological analysis utilizing 2010 – 2020 Center for Disease Control and Prevention postmenopausal BRCA mortality data (restricted to 45+ years old) and aggregated 2012 – 2020 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Environment Atlas data. Food swamp score (FS) was calculated as the ratio of fast-food and convenience stores to grocery stores and farmer’s markets. Food desert score (FD) was calculated as the proportion of residents living more than one mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from a grocery store and household income ≤ 200% of the federal poverty threshold. We categorized FD and FS to low, moderate, or high; higher scores indicated counties with poorer healthy food resources. Multilevel generalized mixed effects models were used to estimate the mentioned association. Results: 2,280 counties/county equivalents with high postmenopausal BRCA mortality rates had higher percentage of non-Hispanic (NH)-Black population (5.80 vs. 2.08), poverty rates (17.2 vs. 14.2), and high food swamp scored areas (39.0 vs. 24.5) versus counties/county equivalents with low postmenopausal BRCA mortality rates (p-value &amp;lt; 0.0001). After adjusting for age, percentage of NH-Blacks per county, and poverty rate, we found 42% increased odds of having high postmenopausal BRCA mortality rates among U.S. counties/county equivalents with high food swamp scores (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.14 – 1.78). Conclusions: Sampled U.S. counties with the poorest food swamp environment had significantly increased odds of postmenopausal BRCA mortality. We suggest that local policymakers and community stakeholders should employ sustainable approaches at combating obesity and BRCA by increasing healthier accessible food sources (e.g. creating more walkable neighborhoods and community gardens). Citation Format: Malcolm Bevel, Meng-Han Tsai, April Parham, Sydney Andrzejak, Samantha Jones, Justin Moore. The Association between Food Deserts, Food Swamps, and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Mortality in the United States [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PS18-03.

Impact of risk perception and trust in autonomous vehicles on pedestrian crossing decision: Navigating the social-technological intersection with the ICLV model

In the rapidly evolving realm of transportation technology, the dynamic relationship between pedestrians and technological innovations has attained unprecedented importance. The complex social-technological intersection surrounding pedestrian road crossings has emerged as an attention for traffic safety. What distinguishes the contemporary urban environment is the rapid assimilation of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) into the transportation infrastructure, including technological elements such as autonomous vehicles, advanced surveillance systems, and smart infrastructure. To investigate how pedestrians perceive risks, trust technology, and make decisions in this era of technological progress, we designed a video-based questionnaire utilizing the stated preference (SP) methodology. We collected SP data from 589 Chinese pedestrians and employed an integrated choice and latent variable (ICLV) model to quantify the influence of risk perception and trust in autonomous vehicle (trust in AV), treated as latent variables, on their crossing decisions. Our findings indicate that the presence of autonomous vehicles significantly affects pedestrian crossing decisions. Specifically, an increase in the approaching vehicle speed and a decrease in the approaching vehicle distance increase the pedestrians’ tendency to choose not to cross the road, and the latent variables of risk perception and trust in AV strongly predict this phenomenon. The results of the scenario analysis show that, compared with overall pedestrians, middle-aged pedestrians and high-risk perception-level pedestrians are more conservative in their crossing decisions, but high levels of trust in AV improve pedestrians’ willingness to cross the street. Additionally, the pedestrian-related findings of this study at the social-technological intersection provide better understanding of the decision process and contribute to the planning and development of urban intelligent transportation systems.

Research on Optimization Strategy of Commercial Street Spatial Vitality Based on Pedestrian Trajectories

Commercial pedestrian streets significantly enhance urban life. Previous research often depends on limited survey data or subjective evaluations, which fail to fully capture the impact of street elements on spatial vitality under diverse spatiotemporal conditions. This study, conducted in Beijing’s Sanlitun commercial district, analyzes pedestrian data from six branch roads collected via WiFi detection to determine how various spatial elements influence the vibrancy of commercial pedestrian streets. The results show a positive correlation between street width, ranging from 5.88 to 10.83 m, and vitality. Furthermore, the influence of different street elements on vitality varies notably. During the daytime, street width is the most effective element for enhancing vitality, with a maximum standardized coefficient of 1.717. However, at night, the associations between advertising area, store type, and vitality diminish. The street recording the highest nighttime vitality peaked at a pedestrian count of 91.7831. The contribution of street width to enhancing nighttime vitality is 2.49 times greater than at noon on non-working days, 2.01 times more than on working days, and 2.92 times higher than the impact of tables and chairs. Therefore, street design should prioritize street width, ground floor interface permeability, number of tables and chairs, store density, advertising area, and store type.

THE EFFECT OF ADDING WASTE TIRE RUBBER POWDER ON PAVING BLOCK WEAR

Pavement using paving blocks is the right choice because of its easy installation and maintenance. One form is a quadrilateral type that is widely used for environmental and pedestrian roads. With good road access being one of the improvements in vehicles so that waste tires also increase, solutions are needed to reduce the impact on the environment but are also expected to provide benefits for paving block roads, especially increasing adhesion between paving block constituent materials. Based on this background, it was a research idea with the aim of determining the effect of adding waste tire rubber powder on the wear resistance of paving blocks. Research method with strength testing on paving block samples with a size of 5 cm x 5 cm x 2 cm a total of 18 samples. The results showed the average strength value of paving blocks with a mixture of waste tire rubber of 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% of 0.134, 0.223.0235, 0.246 and 0.247 mm / minute, so that the addition of waste tire rubber powder showed a decrease in the wear rate of paving blocks.

Using extreme value theory to evaluate the leading pedestrian interval road safety intervention

Improving road safety is hugely important with the number of deaths on the world's roads remaining unacceptably high; an estimated 1.3 million people die each year as a result of road traffic collisions. Current practice for treating collision hotspots is almost always reactive: once a threshold level of collisions has been overtopped during some pre‐determined observation period, treatment is applied (e.g., road safety cameras). Traffic collisions are rare, so prolonged observation periods are necessary. However, traffic conflicts are more frequent and are a margin of the social cost; hence, traffic conflict before/after studies can be conducted over shorter time periods. We investigate the effect of implementing the leading pedestrian interval treatment at signalised intersections as a safety intervention in a city in north America. Pedestrian‐vehicle traffic conflict data were collected from treatment and control sites during the before and after periods. We implement a before/after study on post‐encroachment times (PETs) where small PET values denote ‘near‐misses’. Hence, extreme value theory is employed to model extremes of our PET processes, with adjustments to the usual modelling framework to account for temporal dependence and treatment effects.

Toward social sustainability: evidence from the Chaharbagh Abbasi Pedestrian Street in a historical Middle Eastern city, Iran

Pedestrianization is a prevalent strategy, especially in urban centers, aimed at creating safer and more vibrant environments. However, there remains a conspicuous absence of studies exploring the social consequences of pedestrianization in the Middle East (ME). This research aims to bridge this gap by assessing the social impacts of pedestrianization on Chaharbagh Abbasi Pedestrian Street (ChAPS), a historical social hub of Isfahan, a city in the heart of Iran, which was revitalized from a car-oriented to a car-free street between 2017 and 2020. We focused on five independent factors: social interaction (SI), sense of belongingness (SB), sense of responsibility (SR), security (SEC), and safety (SAF). Data from 984 in-person questionnaires and online surveys were analyzed via SPSS and ArcGIS, and pre- and post-project outcomes were compared. The findings indicate an improvement in SAF, SB, and SI, a negligible change in SEC, and an unexpected decrease in SR post-pedestrianization. Specifically, SI improved for 60% of visitors and 72% of urban residents reliant on public transportation. SAF increased by 97% and 80% for city inhabitants and visitors, respectively, while SEC witnessed minimal progress of under 10% for both groups. Despite SB achieving a remarkable improvement of 93%, SR surprisingly decreased by 21.5% for those living far from ChAPS. The study aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), indicating the pedestrianization project’s contribution to social sustainability to a large extent. However, further efforts are needed to fully meet SDG sub-indicators. This study provides practical guidelines for urban planners intending to enhance social sustainability through built environmental planning at the city level in the ME.