Background: Walkability reflects designing of road infrastructure to encourage walking as a means for transportation. It demarcates the extent to which the built environment supports and encourages walking by providing safe, comfortable, accessible, and pleasant conditions. It is being increasingly recognized as a key component of sustainable urban development. In the context of rapidly populated and inadequately urbanized Indian cities, promotion of walkability can contribute significantly to environmental sustainability, public health, economic vibrancy, and social equity. Objective: This paper investigates the influence of walkability on the sustainable development of Chennai City, the fourth largest metropolitan city of India and the largest in South India. Through a multi-dimensional approach, the study examines the interplay between pedestrian infrastructure, urban design, public health outcomes, environmental impacts, and socio-economic inclusivity. Methods: The research adopts both qualitative and quantitative methods, including field surveys, GIS-based spatial analysis, and stakeholder interviews, to assess the current walkability conditions in five distinct localities across Chennai: Mylapore, Anna Nagar, Velachery, T. Nagar, and Sholinganallur. Parameters such as sidewalk width and quality, pedestrian crossings, street lighting, traffic calming measures, and encroachment levels were analysed. Findings: Findings reveal significant disparities in walkability across neighbourhoods, with high-density and mixeduse areas generally faring better than peripheral or vehicle-dominated zones. One of the central findings of the study is the correlation between improved pedestrian environments and reduced vehicular dependency, which in turn contributes to lower carbon emissions and better air quality. Moreover, walkable environments promote physical activity, thereby addressing growing public health concerns such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health issues. Socially, walkable cities tend to be more inclusive, especially for vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, and the economically disadvantaged, who rely heavily on non-motorized transport. Challenges and Recommendations: Despite the benefits, several challenges persist in Chennai's urban fabric that hinder walkability. These include poor maintenance of footpaths, unregulated street vending, encroachments by parked vehicles, insufficient shade, extreme heat, and fragmented governance over transport and land use. The study also highlights the need for integrated planning frameworks that bridge gaps between urban design, mobility planning, and policy implementation. Drawing insights from global best practices and successful Indian initiatives such as the Complete Streets project in Pune and the pedestrian zones in Bengaluru, the paper proposes a set of strategic interventions for Chennai. These include developing pedestrian-priority zones, implementing universal design standards, enhancing last-mile connectivity with public transport, introducing intelligent traffic signal systems for pedestrians, and launching public awareness campaigns to foster a walking culture. Conclusion: The research concludes that enhancing walkability in Chennai is both a feasible and necessary step toward achieving a more liveable, equitable, and environmentally responsible urban future. By reorienting city planning around human-scale mobility rather than vehicular traffic, Chennai can set a precedent for other Indian cities striving to meet the goals of sustainable urban development

This article invites more substantial attention to the renaissance of employee housing. At a time when a wide range of people struggle to find affordable and adequate housing in urban areas close to their places of work and learning, the housing question is no longer only an individual challenge but threatens to undermine the functioning of intricate urban economies and social ecologies. The lack of affordable housing has thus reached a point where employees have to search for housing in remote locations and deal with long commutes and, simultaneously, employers struggle to find skilled workers in urban areas. Here, employee housing could offer a forward-thinking solution. While the concept itself is not new, it has been overlooked for decades, leaving municipalities unprepared for the demand from employers and companies for housing as they try to attract skilled workers by offering a job with housing. We argue that these dynamics are not only timely in providing affordable housing in central locations and ensuring economic and social stability in urban areas, but also in possibly tackling questions of sustainability by reducing commuting and car traffic while strengthening walking, cycling, and public transport in cities. By integrating residential and business zones, employee housing could become a tool in tackling questions of social, economic, and ecological resilience. The goal of this article is thus to start a debate about the potential and risks of employee housing in the 21st century and invite fellow researchers to join.

Urban walking offers a unique lens to understand how environmental conditions affect human well-being through both perception and physiological response. This study analyzes 2,207 walking trips from 90 participants from their daily mobility patterns in Lisbon, Portugal, integrating GPS trajectories, physiological signals, self-reported emotions, semantic street imagery, and high-resolution environmental data. We examined how urban features-such as vegetation, noise, sky visibility, infrastructure, and points of interest - relate to peripheral bio signals, like heart rate variability, electrodermal activity, skin temperature, and self-reported emotional states. Results show that moderately green and culturally vibrant environments enhance well-being, calmness, and alertness, while noise, heat, and technical infrastructure increase physiological stress. Clustering analyses reveal that environmental typologies shape affective and bodily responses, with greener and quieter routes yielding more positive outcomes. These findings underscore the embodied nature of walking in cities and highlight the importance of integrating sensory, spatial, and emotional dimensions into urban design for healthier pedestrian experiences.

This article highlights an overlooked social group in urban planning: first-time mothers of premature babies requiring neonatal care. It explores how to reimagine urban spaces for a sustainable and inclusive city. Set in inner London, the article delves into the challenges these mothers face while caring for their newborns, who often rely on medical aids. These mothers face practical challenges when navigating the city, including being vulnerable to infections and managing oxygen tanks and nonfolding prams, which can lead to complications that make urban travel difficult. Based on an interdisciplinary research project with neonatologists, the article explores the emotional and sensory experiences of mothers navigating the city. Using diary entries and walking interviews, it calls for integrating emotional responses into urban planning to create more inclusive and sustainable cities.

Does Your City Make You Healthier? : Moving to a walkable city boosts daily locomotion by an average of 1,100.

BackgroundPhysical inactivity is a major health risk worldwide, while walking is one of the most accessible forms of exercise that improves public health and supports sustainable urban mobility. Yet the combined and nonlinear effects of the built environments and seasonal climate on exercise walking in high-density cities remain insufficiently explored. This study aims to uncover these relationships and provide insights for health-oriented and climate-adaptive urban planning.MethodsCrowdsourced walking trajectory data were analyzed for three representative high-density Chinese cities, Beijing, Wuhan, and Guangzhou, covering both summer and winter. A comprehensive variable system was established, incorporating built environments, seasonal climate, and socioeconomic factors. A geographically weighted extreme gradient boosting model was developed with Bayesian optimization and cross-validation to improve robustness. Interpretability was achieved through Shapley Additive Explanations, partial dependence plots, and clustering analysis to identify global and local drivers of walking activity.ResultsThe geographically weighted extreme gradient boosting model outperformed traditional regression and other machine learning models in prediction accuracy. Walking trajectories showed clear spatial clustering, with central urban cores as hotspots, and seasonal differences most pronounced in Beijing. Walk Score was consistently the most stable and influential factor across cities and seasons. Among climatic variables, air quality and temperature had the strongest impacts, particularly in winter. Variables exhibited three types of nonlinear responses: sustained growth (such as Walk Score and pedestrian street length), threshold-sensitive (such as intersection density and population density), and fluctuating patterns (such as air quality and housing prices). Local cluster analysis revealed three context-specific patterns: environment-driven areas such as parks and campuses, function-driven commercial centers, and structurally imbalanced or transitional zones.ConclusionsExercise walking in high-density cities is shaped by both seasonal climate variability and spatial heterogeneity of the built environments. Improving pedestrian infrastructure, managing density thresholds, and implementing climate sensitive design can mitigate adverse weather impacts and foster year-round walking. Tailored strategies, including enhancing microclimate resilience in ecological zones, optimizing density and functional mix in commercial districts, and restructuring fragmented large blocks, are essential to create pedestrian friendly, health oriented, and climate adaptive cities.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12942-026-00453-x.

ABSTRACT Previous research on walking commuting satisfaction has primarily examined residential or workplace environments, often overlooking the crucial intermediary walking environment between the two. This study fills that gap by analyzing how both perceived and objectively measured walkability along the entire commuting route influence walking-to-work behavior and satisfaction among 1,002 Shanghai residents. The results reveal that the built environment along the commute route significantly shapes walking satisfaction, exhibiting both positive and negative effects. Unlike residential or workplace settings, intermediary factors—particularly perceived road congestion and commuting distance—exert stronger influences on satisfaction. Furthermore, the intermediary walking environment affects satisfaction mainly through its impact on walking behavior. By emphasizing this often-neglected segment of the urban environment, the study deepens understanding of the complexities of walking in cities and offers practical insights for urban planners and policymakers seeking to enhance walkability and improve the walking experience in metropolitan areas such as Shanghai.

The quality of the pedestrian environment is influenced by factors such as safety, comfort, attractiveness, and accessibility, collectively referred to as walkability. Walkability encompasses both the physical infrastructure and the social and cultural dimensions of walking. This study evaluates pedestrian network connectivity along three primary routes, namely Persiaran Bestari, Jalan Plumbum, and Persiaran Permai, using the space syntax approach with an axial map. The axial map, derived from Open Street Map (OSM) and supplemented with site inventory data, represents spatial connectivity through axial lines that illustrate relationships between spaces within the network. Integrating primary and secondary data facilitated a comprehensive assessment of pedestrian volume and spatial configuration. The findings indicate that Persiaran Bestari records the highest pedestrian volume, attributed to its proximity to schools and residential areas that sustain continuous foot traffic. Axial analysis further demonstrates that Persiaran Bestari and Persiaran Permai possess the highest levels of connectivity, particularly in zones characterised by dense residential and commercial land use. This study highlights the correlation between infrastructure, facilities, and land-use zoning, offering valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers seeking to design walkable cities that prioritise connectivity, accessibility, and social interaction.

Purpose Good places are welcoming spaces where people can relax and enjoy themselves. The purpose of this study is to expand Ray Oldenburg’s “good places” theory in the realm of tourism, recognising its potential in exploring how tourism activities engage with and interpret third places. Oldenburg argued that society thrives on three essential spaces: home and work as first and second places, while third places are social environments where people gather informally. Surprisingly, the role of tourists in shaping third places has not received much academic attention. The purpose of this study is to explore the tourism-related third places on Instagram. Design/methodology/approach The visual analysis draws upon Oldenburg’s third places theory and explores an Instagram reel on third places that solicited 2,436 comments by tourists. To further explore visuals on “great, good places”, text mining and co-occurrence analysis were used on 13,746 Instagram posts and hashtags of #goodplace and #greatplace. This meta-data analysis provides insights into the Instagram travel content labelled as good places. Findings The results of the study indicate that tourists associate the concept of “great good places” on Instagram with the walkability of cities, the spontaneous encounters with people, the availability of outdoor facilities, parks and squares and the opportunities for social interaction they offer daily. These places are perceived as offering free experiences. The visual analysis reveals that travel-related good places can be at the centre of social media travel narratives. Research limitations/implications The study focused on #great #good places but while the hashtags were widely used on Instagram, it cannot be assumed that people intend to refer to third places as great, good places. It is acknowledged that maybe these hashtags were added to the travel related content to get more reactions from followers. The co-occurrence analysis of Instagram posts has difficulties in capturing the depth of user sentiment or emotional attachment. Practical implications Tourism marketers can use the results to emphasise the importance of third places on social media. Three key aspects of good places emerged: the importance of walkable cities; the possibility of spontaneous gatherings, which tourists appreciate for their serendipity; and the desire to enjoy outdoor experiences in natural surroundings. Tourism experience designers aiming to position destinations as good places could take these aspects into account. The hashtag #goodplace is popular on Instagram; therefore, marketers of tourism destinations aiming to attract tourists seeking relaxed, walkable and visually pleasant environments should consider incorporating it into their social media strategies. Originality/value Findings provide new insights into how Oldenburg’s third place theory can be expanded into the field of tourism and it opens paths for further research. The utilisation of a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods enables a better understanding of tourism-related visual data shared, commented and tagged on Instagram.

Pedestrian safety remains a critical concern in urban transport planning, particularly in rapidly expanding cities where infrastructure frequently fails to accommodate the needs of vulnerable road users. This literature review synthesises global research on pedestrian safety measures, identifying effective strategies and highlighting research gaps. Studies emphasise that traffic calming interventions, such as speed humps, raised crosswalks, and curb extensions, significantly reduce pedestrian-vehicle conflicts. Enhanced street lighting, especially at intersections and crossings, has improved visibility and perceptions of safety during nighttime travel. Safe crossing facilities, such as pedestrian signals, refuge islands, and grade-separated crossings—are particularly effective near schools, transit hubs, and densely populated areas. The review also highlights the role of speed management policies and enforcement in reducing crash severity and frequency. Furthermore, integrating pedestrian-oriented design in urban planning, through wider sidewalks, buffer zones, and reduced curb radii—can foster safer walking environments. Despite the availability of proven interventions, many cities in developing countries face challenges in implementation due to limited funding, weak policy frameworks, and inadequate data on pedestrian behaviour and crash patterns. This research reveals that the law enforcement, especially the speed control, traffic signals, traffic calming measures and awareness, are the dominant safety measures for ensuring the safety of pedestrians. The findings call for a context-specific, data-driven approach to pedestrian safety that prioritises the needs of all users, especially children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. This review contributes to the broader understanding of how urban design and transport policy can work in tandem to enhance pedestrian safety, encouraging inclusive, walkable cities that support public health, environmental goals, and equitable mobility.

The demographic transition to an aging society in the 21st century has necessitated the development of age-friendly walkable cities, particularly in Thailand, which became a fully aged society in 2022 with 20% of its population aged 60 and above, with projections indicating continuous growth. However, previous research has lacked in-depth studies on factors promoting walking in historic urban areas from the perspective of elderly tourists, especially within the context of heritage cities where infrastructure improvement constraints exist. Through a case study of the old town district of Nakhon Ratchasima, an area rich in cultural heritage with a dense elderly population comprising 32% of the local demographic, this study aims to examine factors and relationships between amenities and elderly satisfaction regarding walkable city development, and to propose appropriate walking route development guidelines for elderly residents in the old town area of Nakhon Ratchasima. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, comprising data collection through questionnaires administered to elderly general tourists and elderly community members in the old town area of Nakhon Ratchasima, aged 60-75 years and above with good health status, totaling 100 respondents. The questionnaires assessed factors promoting walking and satisfaction levels with various amenities, complemented by field observations to document the physical characteristics of the area and usage behaviors. Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics and factor analysis. The research findings revealed that the optimal walking exercise distance for most elderly individuals ranges from 500-1,000 meters. Critical factors promoting walkable cities for the elderly comprised appropriate infrastructure, safety, and essential amenities. Factor analysis demonstrated that amenities influence elderly satisfaction by 80%, particularly clean restrooms, with seating areas recommended every 200-500 meters, emphasizing shaded and secure locations. Based on these findings, this study proposes three concrete development approaches: improving signage systems for clarity and comprehensibility, increasing rest points and restrooms along frequently used routes, and developing mobile applications to supplement walking route information. The findings and recommendations from this study are not only beneficial for developing the old town area of Nakhon Ratchasima, but can also be applied as guidelines for developing other historic urban areas with similar contexts and challenges, to promote sustainable age-friendly urban development.

The Gajahmada Corridor is one of the main thoroughfares that plays a strategic role in the spatial structure of Semarang City. This area functions as a center for commercial, service, and office activities, and serves as a link between important points in the city such as Simpang Lima and Pandanaran Road. The activities of corridor users are highly diverse, including local residents, formal and informal workers, shopping center visitors, and hotel guests. This diversity drives the high intensity of pedestrian activity in the area. Therefore, providing adequate pedestrian facilities is a crucial aspect for enhancing the walkability of the area. This article aims to assess the walkability index along Jalan Gajahmada and evaluate users' perceptions of pedestrian facilities to promote the development of a pedestrian-friendly area as part of efforts to achieve a walkable city, in line with the principles of a green city. The analytical techniques used in this study include assessing the walkability index using the Global Walkability Index (GWI), Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), and Importance Performance Analysis (IPA). Primary data was collected through field observations and the distribution of questionnaires to 100 respondents selected via stratified random sampling. The analysis results show that the pedestrian path is in the “good” category with an index score of 70.2 and a user satisfaction level of 70.3, which falls into the “satisfied” category. Supporting facilities and physical barriers are the main concerns because they are considered important but not yet satisfactory. Recommendations for improvement include enhancing crossing facilities, reorganizing space to reduce physical barriers, and providing disability-friendly amenities.

The urban pilgrimage route in the co-production of walkable cities: Essence, challenges, and outline. The case of the Camino de Santiago

ABSTRACT Walking is an accessible activity that contributes to public health and environmental sustainability. However, walking activity remains relatively low among Indonesians, prompting government officials and researchers to explore ways to promote walking through urban design improvements. Recognising the potential of well-designed streetscapes to foster active mobility, this research examines the relationship between street physical attributes, pedestrian perceptions, and walking behaviour in Indonesia. To achieve this goal, three distinct areas of Malang City – Idjen Boulevard, Idjen Street, and Kayutangan Street – were chosen for case studies, representing a range of urban environments: historic residential, mixed-use, and historic commercial streets, respectively. The research uses a quantitative-descriptive method, with 194 questionnaires analysed, using a combination of data analysis techniques, including descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and regression analysis. The study found that street physical attributes do play a role in shaping walking behaviour. However, their effect is often indirect, mediated by pedestrian perceptions of safety, comfort, and visual interest. The study highlights the need for policymakers and urban planners to consider both the tangible and intangible factors that influence walkability when designing pedestrian-friendly urban spaces in specific cultural and geographic contexts.

ABSTRACT The benefits of walking are well recognised owever, there are limited studies on walking in Asian cities like Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Despite its high walkability ranking as “a walker’s paradise,” pedestrian numbers remain low. This article examines why people do not walk in such a highly walkable city by exploring the gap between walkability assessments and actual walking situations. Using an interdisciplinary literature review, it analyses how walkability and walking behaviour measurements have been studied. Fieldwork was also conducted to observe walking realities in HCMC. The study finds that Western perspectives on walkability may not fully apply to Global South cities like HCMC, where walking behaviour is influenced by local factors such as alley systems, motorcycle dominance, and micro-scale elements like weather, noise, and air quality. These nuanced local conditions highlight the need to improve existing walkability tools for more inclusive assessments in similar city contexts.

A Study on the Characteristics of Regional Issues and Business Development in Walkable Cities

Approaching green infrastructure and walking-based urbanism is the need for an hour in an urban context; hence, the life of a cyclic plan becomes essential. This study conducted a literature review addressing measures to improve pedestrian safety and comfort in urban spaces. At the design level, core strategies such as sidewalk expansion, restricted access pedestrian only areas, and integrated green spaces were explored in terms of their contribution to minimizing traffic incidents and promoting sustainable movements. The examination of pedestrian/cycle-centric planning lacks existing research, particularly in determining socioeconomic effects. Through a synthesis of recent studies, this review seeks to provide actionable insights for urban planners and policymakers to promote walkable, safe, and inclusive cities. The findings enhance the understanding of how pedestrian-focused designs improve safety, promote environmental sustainability, and improve public health while providing implications for future research.

The location of amenities in urban areas fundamentally shapes both sustainability and equity outcomes. While cities worldwide are pursuing walkable neighborhood initiatives, the practical implications of retrofitting existing urban areas remain unclear. How many new facilities are needed, and where should they be located to ensure equitable access? We analyzed supermarket access across 500 U.S. cities using an optimization approach that minimizes both average distance and inequality in its distribution. Unlike traditional methods that focus solely on reducing inequality or average distance, our approach identifies solutions that improve overall accessibility while reducing disparities. We found that 25% of cities could achieve 15-minute walking access by adding five or fewer stores in optimal locations, while more ambitious 5-minute targets would require over 100 additional stores in most cities. These findings demonstrate both the potential for strategic interventions to efficiently improve access and the substantial challenge posed by car-oriented urban development. By identifying priority areas for new facilities while considering distributional impacts, our method can inform multiple stakeholders working to create more sustainable and equitable cities - from local governments using zoning and incentives to state agencies developing funding programs and community organizations advocating for improved food access.

Walking is one of the physical activities that uses the feet as the main tool in moving, walking activities are included in the universal cheap transportation modes that are easily found in developed cities, to connect the movement of human activities from one area to another, so that socio-economic and cultural activities are created. This walking activity is a fundamental aspect of the city, where the centers of large urban economic activities depend on one of them on walking activities. A city that is friendly to walking activities is called a city with the character of Walkable City or a city that is friendly to pedestrians and the environment, while the status of a Walkable City can be known by analyzing the Walkable City Value (WIV) or the pedestrian-friendly index value of an observed area. The Walkable City concept promotes walking activities as the main means of transportation with the aim of improving a healthier lifestyle that is more environmentally friendly. In the city of Surabaya there are many centers of economic distribution, one of which is Jalan Tunjungan, the road is included in the Heritage area which has a center of economic, social and cultural activities, so that in any case it requires an analysis of the Walkability Index Value on the pedestrian path on the road. This study aims to analyze WIV on the Tunjungan Street lane, the analysis was conducted using the actual direct participatory observation method, in the observation area using a Likert scale questionnaire that was previously compiled. The results of this study are the Walkability Index Value of the Tunjungan Street Heritage Area, which is 86 out of a maximum score of 100. This value indicates that the quality of the Tunjungan Street Heritage Area is included in the "Highly Walkable" category.

Urban morphology, as a discipline, focuses on analyzing the structural components of urban space and how these components come together, often in response to user needs. This study aims to identify the scientific trends and thematic trajectories in urban morphology by analyzing 1073 publications indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database between 2000 and 2025. Co-citation analysis, one of the bibliometric techniques, was conducted using the CiteSpace software. This method allows for the identification of thematic clusters within the urban morphology literature, the key publications representing these clusters, and the temporal relationships among them. The analysis reveals that the literature is shaped around six main thematic clusters: "urban form evolution," "diachronic analysis," "cities," "urban sprawl," "informal settlements," and "walkable cities". These clusters indicate a shift in the field from static analyses focused solely on physical form toward multidimensional, data-driven, and socially engaged research agendas. Temporal analysis further reveals that inter-cluster interaction has significantly increased, particularly after 2019. This study maps the thematic and temporal evolution of urban morphology between 2000 and 2025, offering insights into the field’s development and its emerging interdisciplinary connections.