Creating walkable urban environments

Abstract

Society is looking for increasingly technological answers to solve imminent transport crises, yet walking is often overlooked as a viable alternative for short trips. A complex matrix of factors affects the decision of whether or not to walk. Providing a street environment and public realm that encourages walking will, however, start to create a better balance in our villages, towns and cities, making it easier to choose to walk. Urban environments that have high levels of walking benefit the local community in many ways, in terms of health, social capital and local economic stability. Delivering high-quality walking environments requires an understanding of generic pedestrian issues such as accessibility for all users, designing out crime and connectivity. But delivery also requires specific local knowledge. Utilising local knowledge at the start of any scheme helps avoid costly mistakes and ensures that any improvements actually meet the needs of local people. In situ consultation reinforces ideas and helps local people express and explain the issues. Living Streets has applied this approach in different urban environments including London and Preston and also through the Walkability Project.Working in four similar district centre sites has allowed the identification of ten recurring issues faced by pedestrians.