Q-PLOS, developing an alternative walking index. A method based on urban design quality

Talavera-García, Rubén; Soria-Lara, Julio A.

doi:10.1016/j.cities.2015.03.003

Cited by 116 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Walking is seen as a convenient, safe and adequate activity for seniors as it places the right amount of stress on joints in the human body (Moniruzzaman et al, 2013). The recognition of walking as a means of transport and as a source of moderate PA has led urban planners to focus on creating walkable environments that make active mobility more appealing (Clarke and Nieuwenhuijsen, 2009;Handy and Boarnet, 2002;Lamíquiz and L opez-Domínguez, 2015;Talavera-Garcia and Soria-Lara, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neighbourhood vitality and physical activity among the elderly: The role of walkable environments on active ageing in Barcelona, Spain

Marquet

Miralles‐Guasch

2015

Social Science & Medicine

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neighbourhood vitality and physical activity among the elderly: The role of walkable environments on active ageing in Barcelona, Spain

Marquet

Miralles‐Guasch

2015

Social Science & Medicine

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“…Studies by [194,200] used field survey and sensor based technology respectively for developing pedestrian LOS for transport terminals using qualitative pedestrian level of service (Q-PLOS) and traffic assignment model methods. Factors such as accessibility, safety, comfort, flow, speed and density were considered for the study.…”

Section: Multiple (Exclusive and Non-exclusive) Facilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pedestrian flow characteristics and level of service on dissimilar facilities: A critical review

2018

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Present paper reviewed the past studies on pedestrian flow characteristics (such as speed, flow, density, space, free-flow speed and jam density) and development of Pedestrian Level of Service (PLOS) for various pedestrian facilities (i.e., sidewalk, walkway, crosswalk, grade separated, stairways and escalators. Fundamental relationships (between speed and density) were observed over different facilities and were found to be significantly different. The fundamental relationships for sidewalk facility predicted the range of free flow speeds to be 65 − 85 m/min and jam densities to be 3.5 − 5.3 ped/m 2 . The minimum and maximum pedestrian speeds over sidewalk facility in different countries observed were 52 m/min and 98 m/min respectively, with a mean speed of 79 m/min. The male pedestrians walked at 4 − 9 m/min higher speed in comparison to their female counterparts; while the older pedestrians walked at 15 − 20 m/min lower speed than the younger ones over the various types of crosswalk facilities. Similarly, speed-density relationships for ascending and descending stairways showed that the difference between the two directions varied between 4 − 12 m/min, and that the speed was significantly higher in case of descending direction. Moreover, the jam densities for stairways were also observed to be lower in case of descending direction, as the pedestrians generally maintain higher gap (than in ascending direction) with other pedestrians in front to avoid pushing and the risk of falling down. The flow characteristics were significantly influenced by the type of facility, width, age, gender and location of the study. Primarily factors such as physique (height), culture (dress), attractions (presence of hawkers located along sidewalks), friction (due to parked vehicles), purpose of walking trip and environmental conditions were the main reasons for pedestrians of countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri-Lanka to walk significantly slower than the counterparts pedestrians in the USA, UK or Canada. The review conducted on the PLOS mainly looked into the type of survey conducted (qualitative vs. quantitative), LOS parameters and the various software/models used in development of LOS. Researchers from the USA and Japan preferably used both qualitative and quantitative approaches in defining LOS over sidewalks; while in India, China and Malaysia qualitative method was highly preferred. Pedestrian volume, safety, surface, obstruction and width were observed as essential parameters for qualitative survey while density, flow rate, pedestrian speed and width were used in quantitative survey for sidewalks. In developing the PLOS over sidewalk facility; Conjoint analysis, Landis method, HCM method, affinity propagation cluster algorithm and Gainesville method were preferred by various researchers. Studies conducted over crosswalk facility measured space, flow rate, vehicle volume and delay as the most significant factors in developing LOS based on quantitative technique; while vehicle speed, ...

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“…This quality of accessibility compels us to consider urban design factors, microscale spatial features of the built environment, land-use patterns, and social factors as variables that influence individual practices and attitudes. Based on these theoretical premises, the analytical methods proposed by Garau and Pavan [22], Jabbari et al [38], Blecic et al [20,21], Moura et al [17], Talavera-Garcia and Soria-Lara [39], and Ewing and Handy [40,41] are thus regarded as valid contributions for selecting criteria and structuring the methodology for assessing practicability.…”

Section: Criteria For Evaluating the Practicability Of The Urban Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further research, by Battista and Manaugh [42] in particular, reveals the need to account for socio-demographic factors as fundamental features of the urban environment, and also for individual factors to mediate pedestrians' practices and perceptions. As main issues, other research also regards the selection of pertinent criteria, the individuation of relevant, applicable, and understandable indicators [22,39], and the determination of their relative importance [17]. Moreover, these aspects are influenced by the scale of the analysis, the purpose of users' trips, and the social groups considered.…”

Section: Criteria For Evaluating the Practicability Of The Urban Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Solid contributions are represented by the 3Ds layout proposed by Cervero and Kochelman [43]-density, diversity, and design-and reconfigured as a five-dimensional structure, adding distance to transit and destination to accessibility by Ewing et al [44]. Alternative structures include different categories, depending on the purpose and scale of the proposed analysis: attractiveness, safety, comfort, and accessibility are elements of the Q-PLOS (Quality of Pedestrian Level of Service) assessment procedure [39]; environment, pedestrian facility, road attributes, and walking environment are central to the PEDS evaluation Sustainability 2018, 10, 4189 5 of 23 tool [31]; and use and fruition, health and wellbeing, appearance, management, environment, and safety and security articulate the Indicator of Smart Urban Quality (I SUQ ), proposed by Garau and Pavan [22]. The 5Cs layout [45,46], is a multidimensional framework proposed by the London Planning Advisory Committee, which states that a practicable pedestrian environment should be connected, convivial, convenient, comfortable, and conspicuous.…”

Section: Criteria For Evaluating the Practicability Of The Urban Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

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A Methodological Framework for Assessing Practicability of the Urban Space: The Survey on Conditions of Practicable Environments (SCOPE) Procedure Applied in the Case Study of Cagliari (Italy)

2018

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Children's independent activities within public spaces emerge as a fundamental condition for their development considered in the context of their needs: socialization, movement, autonomy, and enrichment of their creative, imaginative, and cognitive potential. The promotion of their independence represents a relevant issue for implementing the smart city paradigm. This paradigm calls for a methodological framework where the urban fabric's performance is evaluated via comprehensive analytic protocols. The proposed study presents an audit tool for evaluating the quality of urban spaces in terms of their practicability by children: the Survey on Conditions of Practicable Environments (SCOPE). The practicability of this research is establishing the quality of urban spaces' usability, and it is expressed in terms of compositional, configurational, functional, and social factors of the built environment organized within a framework articulated in seven key dimensions (connectivity, convenience, comfort, commitment, conviviality, conspicuousness, and coexistence). The introduction of the concept of practicability and of indicators incorporating the demand for a children-sensitive perspective in the project of public spaces determine the novelty of the SCOPE procedure. This methodology was applied to an area in Central Cagliari, Italy, to evaluate the usability of public spaces. The results reveal that the proposed methodology is relevant for implementing the smart city paradigm because it addresses children's autonomy and their rights to the city by selecting and defining indicators to clarify and assess conditions of the built environment conducive to children's autonomy and independent social activities.Sustainability 2018, 10, 4189 2 of 23 functionality of the city [5,6], but also a condition for inclusion and equality to consolidate sustainable communities [7]. Practicability can be defined as the potential of the public urban space to promote children's independence by accommodating their independent social activities [6][7][8][9][10][11]. The concept of practicability incorporates not only the demand for a children-sensitive perspective in public spaces [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] but also the conceptualization of the inclusivity of public spaces as their potential to accommodate and enable children's independent mobility, and informal and structured, individual and collective ludic activities [6][7][8][10][11][12].The issue of children's engagement in independent outdoor activities can be referred to the more general problem of a contemporary city's walkability. Walkability can be defined as the extent to which the urban environment is usable for pedestrians [17]. Concerns about walkability relate to a recognition of walking as a fundamental factor for promoting more sustainable, active, and inclusive communities [18,19]. The concept of practicability diverges from the notion of walkability because it emphasizes the importance of exploration and appropriation of public spaces through play as a conditi...

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Q-PLOS, developing an alternative walking index. A method based on urban design quality

Cited by 116 publications

References 22 publications

Neighbourhood vitality and physical activity among the elderly: The role of walkable environments on active ageing in Barcelona, Spain

Neighbourhood vitality and physical activity among the elderly: The role of walkable environments on active ageing in Barcelona, Spain

Pedestrian flow characteristics and level of service on dissimilar facilities: A critical review

A Methodological Framework for Assessing Practicability of the Urban Space: The Survey on Conditions of Practicable Environments (SCOPE) Procedure Applied in the Case Study of Cagliari (Italy)

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