Walkabililty

Walkability is an indicator which expresses the overall attractiveness for walking mobility in an area. It takes the quality of pedestrian facilities, roadway conditions, land use patterns, community support, security and comfort for walking into account. Walkability also has close relations with livability of urban areas.

Walkability can be evaluated at various scales. At a site scale where walkability is influenced by pathways or access-ways. At a street or neighbourhood level walkability is affected by the availability of sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian crossings or bridges but also the quality of the pavement. Security issues such the freedom from risk of assault, theft and vandalism play a role here. Several design features can affect the security of a location and thereby increase the walkability. Walkability at a regional or community level walkability is primarily affected by land use and accessibility.