Exploring effective micro-level items for evaluating inclusive walking facilities on urban streets (applied in Johor Bahru, Malaysia)

Abstract

A B S T R A C TModern cities try to provide enough facilities for inclusive and pedestrian-friendly streets. Evaluating and designing models that consider a wide range of street users, including disabled people, can help urban planners to design these inclusive streets. The results of existing (but limited) studies evaluating street conditions for pedestrians do not include a wide range of street users. Therefore, this paper seeks to propose a new model for evaluating and improving urban streets, focusing on inclusive pedestrian facilities. This study introduces pedestrian mobility indicators using advanced design guidelines, existing literature and expert interviews. These indicators are evaluated by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to find underlying patterns. Levels of association between observed and latent variables are tested by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and second-order confirmatory factor analysis (SOCFA). Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to perform the CFA and SOCFA analyses. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 599 participants randomly selected from Setia Tropika residents (Johor, Malaysia). The resultant factor loading values are used as weights in an analytical points-based system, comparing existing facilities to a standard to estimate street facilities and infrastructure levels of service for pedestrians. This pedestrian level of service (PLOS) can be applied to various urban streets around the world, but in this study a street in Malaysia is evaluated using this method to check the accuracy of the proposed PLOS model. Existing street problems and potential improvements can be identified by this model.

Utilizing thermal comfort and walking facilities to propose a comfort walkability index (CWI) at the neighbourhood level

“…Streets, sidewalks, parks, squares and other urban design elements can play a crucial role in promoting walkability, as they can affect pedestrian walking behaviour [9,40,42]. Furthermore, sidewalk amenities conducive to comfortable walking involve main facilities (e.g., kerbs, ramps, sidewalk width), encouragement facilities (e.g., lighting, sitting areas, landscaping and trees) and convenience facilities (e.g., toilets, drinking fountains) [1]. Such indicators can transform spaces into accessible, walkable and comfortable areas [1,4,45,46 It can be concluded that most existing studies have focused on attractive design features, safety, usability and convenience design factors at the street level.…”

“…Walkability refers to the suitability of an urban environment to provide pedestrian walkways [1][2][3][4]. Walkability also enhances the liveability and environmental quality of a neighbourhood [5,6], while it depends on simple infrastructure [1,3,7,8]. Walking is now considered a significant factor in promoting healthier, sustainable and active communities [9].…”

“…Thus, walkability micro-scale assessment models allow us to achieve a better and more reliable perception of the walking environment [1].…”

“…Coefficients and scores of pedestrian comfort facilities 87 88As revealed by the survey, landscaping and trees were estimated as the most 89 significant indicator for respondents of the questionnaire (0.93), which highlighted their role 90 in providing pleasant and attractive streets[1,8], with a shady environment and landscaped 91 views[12], thereby promoting rain infiltration and improving the local microclimate [44], as 92 well as enhancing pedestrian safety[8,14,22,93]. Shade, parks and spaces for playing were 93 also rated as very important in providing relaxation areas for inhabitants.…”

Home and school environmental correlates of childhood BMI

“…The selection of audited segments were based on: (1) not a dead-end street, (2) representative of a wide range of Integration (r:n) values, and (3) having similar lengths. The pedestrian quality attributes to document were selected from local qualities of street environment that are shown to affect pedestrian movement behaviour via their impacts on people`s perception on safety and aesthetics (Pikora et al 2003;Rodríguez et al 2009;Asadi-Shekari et al 2019). These include average sidewalk width as well as the presence of pedestrian crossings and street trees.…”