Analysing the Impact of Pedestrian Network Centrality on Segment-Level Pedestrian Density

Studies have shown that street network centrality measures are capable of explaining a significant proportion of pedestrian activity. These studies typically employ street centreline networks that differ significantly from the networks that pedestrians use to traverse the built environment. Presently, centrality approaches are rarely applied to dedicated pedestrian network (DPNs). This creates uncertainty regarding their ability to explain pedestrian activity when derived from DPNs. This study addresses that gap by investigating the extent to which centrality metrics derived from DPNs can explain observed pedestrian densities, both alone and when controlling for other built environment variables in metro station environments in Asia. In total, four DPNs were created centred on metro stations in Bangkok, Manila, Osaka, and Taipei chosen to represent different urban typologies. Multivariate results show that centrality metrics alone explain a mere 6–24% of observed pedestrian densities when calculated on DPNs. When all factors are considered, the contribution of centrality remained consistent in most study sites but is somewhat reduced with land-use variables and proximity to rail transit revealed as the strongest predictors of pedestrian density. Pedestrian design factors were also frequently associated with pedestrian density. Finally, stronger associations between centrality and pedestrian densities were observed in the denser, more complex pedestrian environments. These findings provide insight into the performance of centrality measures applied to DPNs expanding pedestrian network research in this area.

From Print to Proposal: Exploring the Urban and Cultural Possibilities of Hataitai

<p>I am interested in the synergy between art and architecture. Art is typically graphic and architecture is typically spatial. This research investigates how an exploration of both graphic and spatial techniques might inform architecture. I explore this synergy between graphic and spatial within the context of Hataitai, Wellington. This suburb has the opportunity to grow, physically and socially. This research proposes a Continuing Education Centre that promotes a new cultural hub. This proposal responds to the suburb’s car-dependent nature and aims to enhance Hataitai’s cultural resilience What graphic and spatial opportunities does architecture offer to improve pedestrian infrastructure and enhance cultural resilience? I use the design proposal as a vehicle to investigate how art-led experimentation could influence the architectural language and design. I use printmaking as a creative starting point to explore the possibilities of art-led experimentation. From the prints, I investigate the ambiguity of depth and flatness, I then develop experimentation through physical modelling, hand drawing and digital modelling. The resulting design expands a weakly-defined pedestrian network and enriches the cultural fabric through an architectural language that explores both spatial and graphic overlaps.</p>

From Print to Proposal: Exploring the Urban and Cultural Possibilities of Hataitai

<p>I am interested in the synergy between art and architecture. Art is typically graphic and architecture is typically spatial. This research investigates how an exploration of both graphic and spatial techniques might inform architecture. I explore this synergy between graphic and spatial within the context of Hataitai, Wellington. This suburb has the opportunity to grow, physically and socially. This research proposes a Continuing Education Centre that promotes a new cultural hub. This proposal responds to the suburb’s car-dependent nature and aims to enhance Hataitai’s cultural resilience What graphic and spatial opportunities does architecture offer to improve pedestrian infrastructure and enhance cultural resilience? I use the design proposal as a vehicle to investigate how art-led experimentation could influence the architectural language and design. I use printmaking as a creative starting point to explore the possibilities of art-led experimentation. From the prints, I investigate the ambiguity of depth and flatness, I then develop experimentation through physical modelling, hand drawing and digital modelling. The resulting design expands a weakly-defined pedestrian network and enriches the cultural fabric through an architectural language that explores both spatial and graphic overlaps.</p>

What Does a Foot Path Do?

<p>In New Zealand pedestrian infrastructure is not a robust area of transport planning. As a funding class it receives minimal monetary allocation. This thesis argues design interventions in the pedestrian environment need to be both responsive to the surrounding context and effective in promoting walking patronage. To achieve this goal this thesis argues that the current process used by central authorities and local authorities for researching, designing, and implementing pedestrian infrastructure, needs to change. As a solution this thesis develops a new methodology for researching, designing and implementing pedestrian infrastructure. The methodology is developed through a series of design experiments using Central Wellington as a site. The methodology uses a multi paradigm framework adopted from landscape perception research, which allows it to successfully alternate between ‘top down’ expert orientated approaches. For example, on one hand the methodology uses standardized typological solutions as a cost and time efficient approach to resolving pedestrian barriers to walking; as well as a ‘top down’ macro scale urban analysis in order to ensure any resources being spent at a micro scale street level are also improving larger urban scale problems in the pedestrian network. While on the other hand uses a ‘bottom up’ qualitative approach through a newly developed ‘cognitive survey and interview technique’, to research from the perspective of the public where pedestrian accessibility barriers to walking are located in the built environment. The research is significant as it reveals new insight into the practical application of a standardized typological approach to pedestrian design. In particular it reveals how a new hybrid methodology combining a ‘top down expert’ and utilitarian approach, with a ‘bottom up qualitative’ and contextual approach, makes for efficient employment of design resources when implementing pedestrian infrastructure.</p>

What Does a Foot Path Do?

<p>In New Zealand pedestrian infrastructure is not a robust area of transport planning. As a funding class it receives minimal monetary allocation. This thesis argues design interventions in the pedestrian environment need to be both responsive to the surrounding context and effective in promoting walking patronage. To achieve this goal this thesis argues that the current process used by central authorities and local authorities for researching, designing, and implementing pedestrian infrastructure, needs to change. As a solution this thesis develops a new methodology for researching, designing and implementing pedestrian infrastructure. The methodology is developed through a series of design experiments using Central Wellington as a site. The methodology uses a multi paradigm framework adopted from landscape perception research, which allows it to successfully alternate between ‘top down’ expert orientated approaches. For example, on one hand the methodology uses standardized typological solutions as a cost and time efficient approach to resolving pedestrian barriers to walking; as well as a ‘top down’ macro scale urban analysis in order to ensure any resources being spent at a micro scale street level are also improving larger urban scale problems in the pedestrian network. While on the other hand uses a ‘bottom up’ qualitative approach through a newly developed ‘cognitive survey and interview technique’, to research from the perspective of the public where pedestrian accessibility barriers to walking are located in the built environment. The research is significant as it reveals new insight into the practical application of a standardized typological approach to pedestrian design. In particular it reveals how a new hybrid methodology combining a ‘top down expert’ and utilitarian approach, with a ‘bottom up qualitative’ and contextual approach, makes for efficient employment of design resources when implementing pedestrian infrastructure.</p>

Transportation Network Spatial Analysis to Measure Pedestrian Suitability. The Case of Hilly Cities

The current climate and environmental emergency, together with the growing traffic congestion and pollution in urban areas, make mobility and its sustainability a priority in current transport policies. It is essential to change citizen’s behaviour in order to increase the use of less pollutant, economic and egalitarian transport modes, such as walking, combining it with other public transport modes. For this change to happen, it is necessary to provide feasible alternatives to private cars, namely through the offer of high-quality pedestrian infrastructures, adapted to the cities’ specific characteristics and their citizen’s needs. These aspects are particularly important in hilly cities, where traveling by foot requires an additional effort. The present study aims to contribute to the promotion of soft mobility in hilly cities by creating a support instrument to assess the potential of existing pedestrian infrastructures. Three variables are considered in the analysis: trip generation poles, population density and pedestrian network characteristics, with especial consideration of slopes. These variables were processed with spatial and network analysis tools available in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and combined using a multi-criteria decision analysis to obtain a measure of the pedestrian infrastructure potential. The identification of areas with high pedestrian potential supports the definition of priority intervention programs on the public space and a better allocation of human and financial resources. The proposed instrument was validated through its application to a case study, the hilly city of Covilhã (Portugal). From the results obtained it is possible to conclude that the variable with more impact on the pedestrian infrastructure suitability value is the location of the trip generation poles, influenced by the footpaths’ longitudinal slopes. The instrument also allowed to identify the city’s main expansion areas, corresponding to places presenting a good pedestrian potential and relatively low values of population density.

A Network-Based Approach for Reducing Pedestrian Exposure to PM2.5 Induced by Road Traffic in Seoul

Urban plans for pedestrian-friendly environments by reducing exposure to air pollutants and enhancing movement are crucial for public health and accessibility of social infrastructure. Here, we develop a novel network analysis-based approach, which identifies pivotal local walkways that lower exposure risk to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) while improving the urban landscape connectivity. We employ an exponential distance-decay model and partial correlation analysis to estimate traffic-induced PM2.5 and to test the relationship between the proxies and actual PM2.5 concentrations, respectively. We use a proxy for pedestrians’ PM2.5 exposure as a movement cost when conducting network analyses to compute pedestrian network centrality, reflecting both low PM2.5 exposure risk and landscape connectivity. As a result, we found a significant contribution of traffic to the estimated PM2.5 exposure and PM2.5 concentrations. We also found that walkways make a large contribution to regional connectivity regardless of the estimated PM2.5 exposure risk owing to the composition and configuration of urban landscape elements. Regarding the spatial features and planning context, this study suggests four types of pedestrian networks to provide urban authorities with useful practical information in city-wide urban plans for enhancing walkability: PM2.5 reduction required; PM2.5 reduction recommended; optimal areas; and alternatives of optimal areas.

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION & DIGITAL TOOLS TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY IN CITIES

In this work, we present a framework supported by mobile and web apps and able to propose personalized pedestrian routes that match user mobility profile considering mobility impediments factors. We explain how these later have been defined using a pedestrian-centric approach based on travel experiences as perceived in the field by senior citizens. Through workshops, six main factors that may influence pedestrian route choices were revealed: passability, obstacle in path, surface problem, security, sidewalk width, slope. These categories were used to build digital tools and guide a citizen participatory approach to collect geolocated points of obstacle documented with walkability information (picture, category, impact score, free comment). We also involved citizens to evaluate these information and especially senior referents for validation. Finally we present how we connect these points of obstacle with a pedestrian network based on OpenStreetMap to configure a routing cost function. The framework has been partially deployed in 2020 with limited people due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, we share lessons learned from interaction with citizens in the design of such a framework whose underlying workflow is reproducible. We plan to further assess its relevance and sustainability in the future.