Creating pedestrian-friendly urban environments has numerous benefits. It improves social interest by supporting an active lifestyle, improving public health, and lowering air pollution due to a lower reliance on cars. Less reliance on cars has the obvious environmental impact of reducing carbon emissions, as well as creating more space that could be used recreationally. More walkable cities can have an economic impact also, as they help to support local businesses, i.e., shops, cafes, and bars that people interact with by walking past.
Here are some methods we can implement in various sectors of design in order to achieve better walkability and public connectivity in our built environment.
Pedestrian infrastructure
Pavements and areas used for walking should be spacious and accommodating to all, no matter age or mobility. They need to be well maintained to support continuous use and should be well-lit at all times in order to create a safe environment. Incorporating benches and public squares allows people to linger, and green spaces enhance the quality of life as well as trees providing shade.
Having frequent, safe, and well-marked pedestrian crossings is also essential as it encourages walking while also reducing the risk of accidents. Traffic calming measures such as narrower roads, speed limits, and speed bumps, can also reduce the speed of traffic, creating a better environment for pedestrians.
Sustainability and green design
Designing sustainable buildings is obviously beneficial from an environmental standpoint, and it can also create better public connectivity in cities. Through the use of green roofs, green walls, passive heating and cooling design, and renewable energy sources like solar panels, the environmental footprint is reduced. Adding greenery to buildings also promotes biophilia and combining this with architecture that is designed sympathetically to its context, makes it more enjoyable for all users who interact with it, even if they are only walking past. More aesthetic buildings make the urban environment more enjoyable, and therefore a place that is more desirable to us.
Studies such as Christian Nold’s emotion mapping showed that we are stimulated more by a built environment that is diverse in materials and style, than compared to one that is unchanging and predictable. This gives further credence to considering that the form of a building should also be a part of its function, with the goal of attracting inhabitants.
Town Planning
Involving the local community in the decision-making and development of the area can allow for the needs of the residents to be better met and also results in longer-lasting urban changes as when people feel their input has shaped the design, they are more likely to support it.
Stormwater management is an important consideration in town planning, as if done improperly it can be unsafe and also detrimental to the useability of the city. Through using permeable surfaces and including a variety of green surfaces and trees, rainwater can be managed more effectively preventing it from pooling and leading to floods. This creates a more resilient and pleasant urban environment.
Designing cities around humans instead of cars is somewhat alien to the modern world but for improved quality of life needs to be ubiquitous. In most cities personal cars are the priority, with personal transit second (taxis, etc.,), then the movement of goods, followed by public transport, and finally pedestrians. This should be the exact opposite.
With walking being the priority, this benefits the environment but also our personal health so should be designated the majority of space.
Public transport
Investing in public transport helps to reduce car dependency and can allow for quick and convenient movement across or between cities. Through this, it reduces air and noise pollution making the urban landscape a more attractive proposition for people walking through it. Good public transport requires a large investment but is reliable and an option for everyone, it is one that would soon be recouped.
Copenhagen, Denmark
One of the best examples of pedestrian-friendly urban design is in Copenhagen. They have taken several steps in order to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists over cars.
Strøget is one of their most famous streets, running through the heart of the city and spanning over one kilometre, it has eliminated all vehicle traffic, allowing only pedestrians. It is lined with shops, cafes, and bars that benefit from the lack of vehicles.
The city also includes several parks within the city, the King’s Garden and Frederiksberg Gardens being the two biggest, with the green space reducing the urban heat island effect and improving air quality, as well as providing encouragement for commuting and leisure.
From green sustainable architecture to traffic management, good design is at its best when it considers who it’s built for: people. By investing in pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, promoting mixed-use neighbourhoods, and integrating public transport with walking networks, cities can foster environments where walking is not just an option but the preferred way of life.
