Walkability under Climate Pressure: Application to Three UNESCO World Heritage Cities in Central Spain

Abstract

Walkability is a modern concept that has become important in recent years due to the doubtless effects it has on aspects such as health and wellbeing, sustainable development, climate change, and tourism. It is necessary, therefore, that urban development strategies aim to achieve walkable cities. The main objective of this study is to define a methodology to calculate the walkability index in tourist cities and to predict the effects of climate change on this index, which is applied to three World Heritage cities in central Spain: Salamanca, Ávila, and Segovia. The methodology is developed in three phases. Phase I focus on the calculation of walkability, considering the following factors: facilities and services, accessibility, sidewalk width, population density, green areas, and urban trees. In Phase II, walkability in 2020, climate-related variables were added to the previous result: temperatures, solar radiation, and shadows. Finally, the third phase, walkability under climate change pressure in 2030, 2050, and 2100, establish predictions for different climate scenarios. The results show excellent walkability indices (higher) in city centers and newly built neighborhoods and low values in the rest of the peripheral areas, industrial estates, and neighborhoods. Climate predictions showed a generalized decrease in walkability over time, even higher in the scenario with high greenhouse gas emissions. Likewise, the models can be an excellent tool for the tourist management of cities since they show the most walkable areas and, therefore, the most suitable for tourist routes.