Walkability to public transport: prioritization of parameters for walkability assessment in the urban areas of Kerala, India

Abstract

Walkability research is multi-disciplinary and is spread across numerous domains starting from public health to sustainable transportation. Walkability is gaining interest as a non-motorised mode of transportation, and walking to public transport is deemed necessary for sustainable cities. This study intends to select, rank, and prioritise parameters of 'walkability to public transport' for urban areas of Kerala, a southern state in India. Upon a basic framework of walkability parameters obtained after the literature review, the Delphi Method was used to elicit and select the most significant walkability parameters from various domains, including transportation, planning, and urban design. Analytical Hierarchy Process was used to weigh the relative significance of parameters and sub-parameters. The study found that 'Immediate Walking Environment' was top priority, and 'Urban Design Qualities' was ranked least. The methodology will guide future researchers to pursue walkability studies in other cities by adopting this methodology with contextual variations if needed.