Visual Walkability in Wangjing Area from the Perspective of Young Men

This paper mainly evaluated the walkability of the streets around the subway Futong Station in Wangjing area,and with the help of relevant theoretical research conclusions such as environmental behavioral psychology,to study the effect of the visual walkability of streets in different communities on the walking activities of young male residents.Through in-depth analysis of the characteristics of streets that are suitable for walking and young male residents like to walk,practical and feasible reference suggestions were provided for the design of street public space and the establishment of a more livable urban environment.The text was divided into 3 parts:the determination of the functional types of the streets around Futong Station;the characteristics of young men's crowd activities and the establishment of an evaluation system;the visual walkability evaluation of the streets around Futong Station.

Walkability Assessment of Microclimatic Environments of Six Typical Communities in Central Urban Area of Beijing from the Perspective of the Elderly

Community walking space is the most used space in residents’daily life,such as commuting and walking,and is also the most basic type of space for outdoor activities.The microclimatic environment of walking space not only affects the health status of residents,but also determines the service effi ciency of outdoor public space.Based on actual measurement and simulation of microclimatic environment,the status quo of walkability of microclimatic environments in six typical communities is evaluated by quantitative methods,and general problems and optimization suggestions are put forward,in order to provide new ideas for future community environment transformation.

Current design guidelines’streetscape improvement for visual perception and walkability:A case study of Sejong City,Republic of Korea

This study explores how recent design guidelines have focused on the visual variety of streetscapes making them more attractive.To date,this topic has been one of the most challenging parts of constructing walkable streets.We evaluated the streetscape features of Sejong City,recently constructed as Republic of Korea’s new capital city,and investigated their relationships with design guidelines.Consequently,we identified three principal reasons related to the design guidelines for the visual monotony in the street produced by the most up-to-date design guidelines compared with an ordinary street.First,the design guidelines cannot restrict the construction of large-scale buildings on the street,hindering visual changes caused by the zoning ordinance regulations because zoning regulations took priority when it comes to urban planning and regulatory governance.Second,design standards intending for a consistent street wall of buildings,which were used only in regard to the street enclosure standard,produced less spatial diversity and indistinct building bases,presenting weak vertical articulation.Third,applying the uniform standards for each building created repetitive architecture despite design standards for visual variety,such as recessed top floors,arcades,and retail uses for the ground floors facing a street.

Exploring multidimensional aspects of walkability:An innovative analysis approach in Besiktas,Istanbul

This study develops a holistic approach that underlines the effect of spatial,behavioral,and perceptional dimensions on walkability at the neighborhood scale.The study recognizes quantitatively measured tangible factors and qualitatively assessed intangible values to evaluate the level of walkability in Besiktas,Istanbul(Turkey).The research explores the independent and combined effects of physical characteristics,individual perceptions,and walking behavior on walkability.Geographic Information Systems urban analyses,space syntax analysis,and observation to establish an analytical framework for spatial and behavioral dimensions of walkability in Besiktas central district are used as a methodology.Additionally,perceptional data is gathered through an experimental approach,which involves participants walking along pre-determined routes using cartography techniques and employing“shared walks”as a mobile method.The results of study confirmed previous findings from studies that the physical,social,and typological attributes of the built environment have a significant correlation between walking behavior and the physical and social aspects of the built environment.This study provides a comprehensive walkability assessment framework,encompassing quantitative and qualitative dimensions.By incorporating spatial,behavioral,and perceptual dimensions,this approach provides an efficient and integrated analytical methodology for evaluating walkability,distinguishing itself with its originality in the field of walkability research.

Measuring Pedestrian Stress Response (MPSR) Using Wearable Technologies

Walkability is an essential aspect of urban transportation systems. Properly designed walking paths can enhance transportation safety, encourage pedestrian activity, and improve community quality of life. This, in turn, can help achieve sustainable development goals in urban areas. This pilot study uses wearable technology data to present a new method for measuring pedestrian stress in urban environments and the results were presented as an interactive geographic information system map to support risk-informed decision-making. The approach involves analyzing data from wearable devices using heart rate variability (RMSSD and slope analysis) to identify high-stress locations. This data-driven approach can help urban planners and safety experts identify and address pedestrian stressors, ultimately creating safer, more walkable cities. The study addresses a significant challenge in pedestrian safety by providing insights into factors and locations that trigger stress in pedestrians. During the pilot study, high-stress pedestrian experiences were identified due to issues like pedestrian-scooter interaction on pedestrian paths, pedestrian behavior around high foot traffic areas, and poor visibility at pedestrian crossings due to inadequate lighting.

Walking experience:Exploring the trilateral interrelation of walkability,temporal perception,and urban ambiance

Walking experience through urban spaces is a frequent daily activity.Thus,planning and designing for walkability become crucial for building up quality of life.Our daily walks around the city are affected by fulfilling the needed psychological contentment that is in turn measured unconsciously by our temporal perception.This contentment is inherent in what we experience in accordance with urban ambiance that goes beyond the spatial attributes of spaces to include their social and sensorial dimensions.Thus,the question here is how walkability of urban routes is affected by urban ambiance and therefore perceived in terms of time.Therefore,this study aims to understate the trilateral interrelation of walkability,temporal perception,and urban ambiance in walkable routes for daily routine use.This work depends on an experimental study where participants are asked to walk along two selected routes.Data-gathering tools rely on documenting the lived experience of the target group via reporting their trips and answering a questionnaire.Pattern analysis demonstrates this trilateral interrelation to clarify the interplay.This study concludes specific qualities of walkable routes for routine use that reduce sense of time,which is highly crucial to be realized in such daily walk journeys.

Walking-friendly built environments and objectively measured physical function in older adults

Background:Few studies have examined the associations between urban design attributes and older adults’physical function.Especially,it is not well known how built-environment attributes may influence physical function in Asian cities.The aim of this study was to examine associations between objectively measured environmental attributes of walkability and objectively assessed physical function in a sample of Japanese older adults.Methods:Cross-sectional data collected in 2013 from 314 older residents(aged 65-84 years)living in Japan were used.Physical function was estimated from objectively measured upper-and lower-body function,mobility,and balance by a trained research team member.A comprehensive list of built-environment attributes,including population density,availability of destinations,intersection density,and distance to the nearest public transport station,were objectively calculated.Walk Score as a composite measure of neighborhood walkability was also obtained.Results:Among men,higher population density,availability of destinations,and intersection density were significantly associated with better physical function performance(1-legged stance with eyes open).Higher Walk Score was also marginally associated with better physical function performance(1-legged stance with eyes open).None of the environmental attributes were associated with physical function in elderly women.Conclusion:Our findings indicate that environmental attributes of walkability are associated with the physical function of elderly men in the context of Asia.Walking-friendly neighborhoods can not only promote older adults’active behaviors but can also support their physical function.

Differences in transportation and leisure physical activity by neighborhood design controlling for residential choice

Background:Cross-sectional studies provide useful insight about the associations between the built environment and physical activity(PA),particularly when reasons for neighborhood choice are considered.Our study analyzed the relationship between levels of weekly transportation and leisure PA among 3 neighborhood designs,statistically adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and reasons for neighborhood choice.Methods:A stratified random sample of adults(age>20 years)living in Calgary(Canada)neighborhoods with different neighborhood designs(grid,warped-grid,and curvilinear)and socioeconomic status completed a self-administered questionnaire capturing PA,sociodemographic characteristics,and reasons for neighborhood choice(response rate=10.1%;n=1023).Generalized linear models estimated associations between neighborhood design and transportation and leisure PA outcomes(participation(any vs.none)and volume(metabolic equivalent:h/week)),adjusting for neighborhood socioeconomic status,sociodemographic characteristics(gender,age,ethnicity,education,household income,marital status,children,vehicle access,dog ownership,and injury),and reasons for neighborhood choice(e.g.,proximity and quality of recreational and utilitarian destinations,proximity to work,highway access,aesthetics,and sense of community).Results:Overall,854 participants had resided in their neighborhood for at least 12 months and provided complete data.Compared with those living in curvilinear neighborhoods,grid neighborhood participants had greater odds(p<0.05)of participating in any transportation walking(odds ratio(OR)=2.17),transportation and leisure cycling(OR=2.39 and OR=1.70),active transportation(OR=2.16),and high-intensity leisure PA(≥6 metabolic equivalent;OR=1.74),respectively.There were no neighborhood differences in the volume of any transportation or leisure PA undertaken.Adjustment for neighborhood selection had minimal impact on the statistical or practical importance of model estimates.Conclusion:Neighborhood design is associated with PA patterns in adults,independent of reasons for neighborhood choice and sociodemogranhic factors.

Identifying and promoting safe walking routes in older adults

Background: Walking for physical activity is important for older adults' physical and mental health. We developed and tested the reliability of an environmental audit tool designed to be used by lay people to identify appropriate walking routes for older adults trying to increase their physical activity. Methods: A 44-item Walking Route Audit Tool for Seniors (WRATS) was developed based on literature review and input from older adults during focus groups. Observers completed the tool for 24 walking routes which were specifically selected to maximize variability in environment features and quality. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using Kappa and percent agreement. Results: Inter-rater reliability was good to excellent for 27 of the 44 WRATS items and moderate for 9 items. ICCs were good to excellent for 6 of the 8 scales (ICCs = 0.61 to 0.90). Conclusions: These results provide evidence for the reliability of WRATS for evaluating environmental attributes of walking routes suitable for older adults. Some scales need further refinement, and validity should be tested in a sample of older adults.

Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) Using Space Syntax: A Case Study of Urban Parks in the South of Brazil

This study is based on strategies for reading and representing the environment,associated with the theory of social logic of space(space syntax).The general objective of this study is to understand and compare the use of space syntax in relation to connectivity,integration and choice of axial routes of the urban parks of Porto Alegre,in the state of Rio Grande do Sul,south of Brazil.The method applied was the capture of georeferenced images for data analysis by using the Theory of Space Syntax(TSE).Thus,three variables were considered for interpretation:choice,connectivity and integration,and they were correlated to statistical data on urban morphology.The results demonstrated the possibility of obtaining significant improvements in the studied urban parks due to the need to create guidelines related to connection and integration that directly impact users'choice strategies when they move around the city.

二线城市友好慢行空间景观设计探索

在探讨慢行友好型城市空间的必要性以及对“城市慢行交通”的理解基础上．结合作者在多个二线城市的设计工作经验，重点对友好慢行界面的多种创造手法进行探索与阐述，强调“慢行交通”的“慢”并非速度上的绝对慢，而是一种回归自然、轻松的，能引起大众群体产生场地认同感的意境，并期望引起类似从业设计者的共鸣及关注。

Case Study:Topography Integrated Urban Center Concept Project on Coastal Line of Kartal/İstanbul

The concept of creating a Topography integrated urban center is to create an urban center that integrated with the city.The first step of the Concept is to settle by using the natural elevation in the land and to create volumes compatible with land by raising together with the elevation.While the passenger circulation at starting elevation is moved into a project with the cavestyle volume settled in land elevation.The new area of the square to be defined in the center of the building is intended to form an area combining the neighboring squares Kartal Square and Freedom Square,as well as contributing to the silhouette of Kartal from the sea with the location of the square and building.The project is a central complex design that deals with various urban problems thanks to professionals,local people of Kartal,and clubs which established with the municipality in a comprehensive way to search for solutions to be organized urban workshops and conferences.