Speaker
Description
Walking has gained importance as a travel mode. Several public authorities are trying to improve walkability conditions of their territories, by improving the pedestrian network and public space overall. However, often the problems to be solved surmount the available budget, and a strategy is required that prioritize certain areas and/or types of interventions. In this paper, we present the methodology the municipality of Lisbon has adopted to improve the walkability conditions of places, which is based on a two-stage process. First, an overall walkability evaluation is performed for the entire territory, by identifying the relevant opportunities and considering the ‘gross’ pedestrian network of the territory. Without any evaluation of the concrete walking conditions of the network, results are treated as the ‘potential walkability’ of the territory. Second, by selecting some neighbourhoods based their potential walkability as well as on demographic, land use and traffic/safety issues, an evaluation of the net pedestrian network is made, and the impact on walkability is evaluated. This complementary evaluation allows to identify key-places that can trigger major changes, and which interventions are more relevant for the neighbourhood, optimizing budget allocation and walkability impacts.
With this two-stage methodology, it becomes possible to define where to start intervening to maximize the impact of public space interventions to promote walkability. With adequate adjustments, this methodology can be applied in any other city that wants to improve walkability by maximizing the impact of the available budget.
| Keywords | walkability; methodology; public space; pedestrian network |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
