Becoming walkable: relational and contextual effects of enhanced walkability

ABSTRACT

This study aims to understand how infill developments with walkable policies influence not only the walkability of the modified area but also the proximate urban spaces located in the context. The paper uses a mixed-methods and a relational approach to conduct comparative research in the form of pre- and post-construction analysis in a recently pedestrianised street to evaluate how enhanced walking in the pedestrianised corridor affected the walkability of its adjacent spaces. Results suggest that the enhanced walkability in the pedestrianised street increased the walkability of the adjacent spaces. Then, the study adopts a critical stance towards current approaches of understanding walkability and argues this finding corroborates the idea behind assemblage thinking in the walkability debate; that is, walkability is a capacity that may or may not be actualised. Here, seeing walkability in terms of a “becoming assemblage,” emphasises the role of assemblage thinking in grasping the dynamics of walkability.

KEYWORDS:

• Walkability
• relational thinking
• mixed-methods
• assemblage thinking
• Ardabil city

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the five anonymous reviewers for sharing their insightful comments on different parts of this paper. Also, we thank Mr Bahram Shirinpour for sharing his photos of the Shahidgah Walkway (Figure 3).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Additional information

Notes on contributors

Soroush Masoumzadeh

Soroush Masoumzadeh is an urban designer and researcher. He holds a masters degree in urban design from Shahid Rajaee University. His research expertise relates to walkability, public space, place-temporality and assemblage theory.

Caryl Bosman

Caryl Bosman is Professor, Head of Architecture, Planning & Design in the School of Engineering and Built Environment at Griffith University. Her research interest focus on public space, tactical urbanism and the provision of housing for an ageing population.

Natalie Osborne

Natalie Osborne is a Lecturer in the School of Environment at Griffith University, teaching and researching in the areas of urban and environmental planning and critical human geography. Her work focuses on social, spatial, and environmental justice in cities, spatial politics, and the right to the city.