Perceiving Liveability through the Diverse Aspects of Walkability

Abstract

A city's walkability is a measure of how friendly, safe and attractive a city is for walking within it. Moreover, a well-designed walkable environment can become a place where many social, political, and other important urban activities occur. Following the appearance of motorised vehicles, cars have occupied urban spaces, with many city structures changing according to motor vehicles' requirements rather than pedestrians. Regardless of the many benefits that cars bring to people’s lives, the overuse of cars has had many social, physical, and economic consequences. Based on the reviewed literature, this research analyses the relationship between the built environment and walking, behavioural factors and travel mode choices, walking as a means of socialisation and as a transportation mode. In addition to these factors, four main groups of criteria contributing to increased walking rate are identified: lifestyle, urban design factors, personal and locational factors. Each of these groups has comprehensive sub-categories that can evaluate the walkability of a street or an urban space. This research mainly examines the relationship between the built environment's physical properties and the walkability of urban space.