Cool walkability planning: Providing pedestrian thermal comfort in hot climate cities

Abstract

Global warming and urbanization are increasing the number of people living in cities that experience extreme heat. This makes walking uncomfortable, unattractive, and unhealthy and causes travelers to drive for trips that could be made on foot. To address these problems hot-climate cities can create networks of shadeways (shaded sidewalks) and pedways (enclosed, climate-controlled walkways). This article introduces the Cool Walkshed Index (CWI) which rates pedestrian thermal protection from A (best) to F (worst). Currently, most urban neighborhoods have CWI E (incomplete sidewalk networks) or D (complete sidewalk networks). Moderate-heat cities should aspire to CWI C (shaded sidewalks on busy routes); high-heat cities, with temperatures that frequently exceed 38 °C (100 °F) should aspire to CWI B (most buildings located within 300 m of enclosed, climate-controlled pedways); and extreme-heat cities, with temperatures that frequently exceed 43 °C (110° F) should aspire to CWI A (most buildings are located less than 100 m of enclosed, climate-controlled pedways). Analysis in this study indicates that the additional costs of these facilities can be repaid many times over through road, parking, and vehicle savings, and increased local property values.