Walkable streets: pedestrian behavior, perceptions and attitudes

Abstract

Urban designers are interested in the environmental qualities of places that make them better for walking, not only as settings for physical activity, but also as sensorial and social settings. Research in walkability lacks qualitative studies that address the microscale analyses of the environment. This paper is an empirical examination of the relationship of the physical, land‐use, and social characteristics of the environment at the microscale to people's behavior and perceptions toward walking. Using the data from surveys and interviews, this research emphasizes the integration of user perceptions and subjective measures to understand the impact of environmental characteristics on walking behavior on Main Streets. Adding to previous research, this study demonstrates the significance of social qualities in supporting walking. The findings expand our understanding of the hierarchy and criteria of walking needs and suggest that, given a safe and comfortable setting, people look for usefulness, sense of belonging and pleasurability as additional and distinct needs to enhance their walking experience.

Keywords:

• walkability
• urban design
• streets
• subjective environmental perceptions
• social qualities

Acknowledgements

Part of this research was supported by a Grant from the Active Living Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The author would like to thank Sidney Brower, Reid Ewing, Guido Francescato, Shenglin Chang and Mary Corbin Sies for their guidance with the research. Thanks also to the anonymous referees and the editor of this journal for their useful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. Furthermore, the author is grateful to all the people who participated in the interviews.