Walkability in a new urban centre: ideas and inspiration Rodney - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Walkability in a new urban centre: ideas and inspiration Rodney Tolley Conference Director, WALK21 and Honorary Research Fellow, Staffordshire University, UK Presented to workshop on Creating New Urban Centres that Invite Walking , City
Conference Director, WALK21 and Honorary Research Fellow, Staffordshire University, UK
Presented to workshop on “Creating New Urban Centres that Invite Walking” , City of Cockburn, April 2nd 2019
n Benefits of walking – especially economic n What is a good walking environment? n Diversity of walking and walkers n Priority: community design or
n Land use principles for more walking n Useful sources
n Supports inclusive mobility n Encourages community cohesion n Increases personal security n Provides freedom for children n Underpins public transport n Supports more road safety for all users n Health arguments:
n Personal n Environmental n Economic
n Robust and consistent
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Melbourne Walking Plan 2014
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Reduction of walking connectivity in CBD by 10% (longer light phasing, footpath congestion) would reduce value of the CBD economy by up to 6.6%, or $2.1 billion
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Existing CBD through-block connections worth over $600 million to the economy
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Auckland CBD studies 2017
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Strong relationship between higher productivity and connectivity on foot
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Attractive, walkable streets create a platform for business and the spread of knowledge
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A 10 per cent increase in walking connectivity is associated with a 5.3 per cent increase in productivity, or approximately $42 million
The ‘5Cs’
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Connected
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Comfortable
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Convenient
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Convivial
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Conspicuous
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Who?
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Children
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Youth to hang out
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Seniors to socialise
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Commuters to pass through
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Accessibility challenged
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Women: need for a gender lens
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For what?
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Functional? Access to station?
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Leisure? For socialising?
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With whom?
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Alone or together?
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How?
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Fast or slow?
n Forsyth and Krizek, 2010: Literature Review of 300
n Key conclusions:
n Walking and cycling warrant separate consideration
n Interventions to promote one do not necessarily promote another
n There is no single solution to increasing walking, but there are
necessary (but insufficient) pre-conditions
n Overall community design matters more than infrastructure:
density and accessible destinations
Promoting walking and bicycling: assessing the evidence to assist planners, Ann Forsyth and Kevin Krizek, Built environment 36, 4, 429-445
n The ‘6 Ds’ n Augmented by the P
n Number of different land uses
n Shortens distances between origins and destinations: more walking
n Balance between jobs and housing
n Links where people work and live: more commuting on foot
n Housing choice: apartments/single family homes
n Many people can work close to home
n ‘Design’ = street geometry, i.e. the directness of travel
n Street connectivity
n Close destinations may not encourage walking if the connections are poor n Grid pattern street networks more connected than curvilinear layouts
n Intersection density
n Number of intersections in a given area: higher when blocks are small n A grid pattern neighbourhood with small block sizes has more route choices n Intersection density influences walking more than any other variable
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A doubling of intersection density results in about 44% more walking (Campoli)
n Destinations give people places to walk to n The main environmental influence on trip length: measures ease of
access
n Brent Toderian’s ‘Power of nearness’: ‘People walk to get to places
when those places are nearby’
n But the more desirable the destination, the further people will walk
to it
n Distance to public transport
n High intersection density and great street connectivity shorten access
distances
n “Virtuous circle of density and transit: feeding the system with riders by
concentrating people and jobs next to public transport, which facilitates service improvements which make public transport more attractive and useful and the city more liveable”
n We assume maximum 400m (5 min walk) to buses and
n Improvement of walking routes lengthens the distances
n Quality must include:
n Walking networks of wide pavements focussed on the station n Raised pavement crossings and priority at side junctions n Priority or longer timings at signalled crossings n Adequate lighting, good design of structures and planting n Wayfinding n Real-time train information on routes to station
n Hilnhutter, H. Pedestrian access to public transport, University of
Stavanger, 2016
n Research focussed on environmental stimulation of emotions n Pedestrians react to stimuli within a radius of only 4-6 m. n Urban areas that provide sufficient space for convenient car access
mostly exceed the abilities of pedestrians’ senses, so walking becomes boring and distances appear longer
up to +30%
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“Walking environments influence the amount of stimulation pedestrians receive …walking distances depend not only on convenience but equally on the sensory impression of the urban surroundings”
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Diverse surroundings subdivide the walking route into shorter sections of different character: walking becomes more entertaining and apparent distances shrink”
n PT operator paying for street upgrades n Menu of street treatments that can be used by Metro
n Includes improvements such as:
n Improved signage and wayfinding with time-to-station signage n Enhancement of existing crossings and the addition of mid-block
crossings
n Street furniture, landscaping, lighting and shade n Sidewalk widening and curb extensions & n Signal modifications to prioritize pedestrians
n Often overlooked factor, as it is routinely seen as a necessity n Cheap and abundant parking encourages driving n Less space for parking ˃ more space for housing, employment and
recreation ˃ raises densities ˃ supports public transport ˃ makes more frequent service possible ˃ parking less necessary
n Replacing surface lots and street level garages with homes or
businesses improves the quality of the street, makes public transport more attractive and encourages trips on foot
n The 6 Ds do not necessarily produce great streets n As densities rise, streets become increasingly important
n Transforming the street into a vibrant community place
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Making streets attractive, human scale public spaces, designed to be destinations in their own right – places to be somewhere, not just to get somewhere
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Dramatically increases the time people spend in the street, not travelling, but sojourning
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Vibrant streets need people on foot to be there – and this in turn creates more vibrancy
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Traffic, transit and the pedestrian
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Attractions and destinations
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The inner street and the outer street
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Identity and image
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Flexibility in design – blending of uses and modes
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Amenities
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Management central to the solution
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Serves a range of user groups
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Diverse funding and participation
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Needs to reach out like an octopus
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Above all: LQC – Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper
n We can increase the use of the street in
n Get more people there
n Difficult: policies on route capacity, access issues,
n Get the existing users to stay longer
n Make the street ‘sticky’
n Streets that are a challenge to get through, not Teflon
n Enticing opportunities to stop, smile, join in
n Interesting and active shops and windows n Lively patios for people-watching n Lots of casual seating and informal food n The right combination of sun, shade, wind
protection, water
n Things to engage with and look at, such as public art n People!
Brent Toderian, 2014
n Lower speeds reduce danger to people on foot n 30 Km/h limits now spreading
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Spain planning 30 km/h limits on most city streets
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NYC re-engineering 100km streets per year to 20mph
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Many 30 km/h zones in NZ, in large and small towns
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Yarra (Victoria) now evaluating Australia’s 1st area-wide 30 km/h zone n Lower speeds through design, not through limits
n Protection against traffic and accidents – feeling safe
n Protection for pedestrians n Eliminating fear of traffic
n Protection against crime and violence – feeling secure
n Lively public realm n Eyes on the street n Overlapping functions, day and night n Good lighting
n Protection against unpleasant sensory experiences
n Wind; rain/snow; cold/heat; pollution; dust, noise, glare
n Opportunities to walk
n Room for walking n No obstacles n Good surfaces n Accessibility for everyone n Interesting facades
n Opportunities to stand/stay
n Edge effect/attractive zones for standing or staying n Support for standing
n Opportunities to sit
n Zones for sitting n Utilizing the advantages: view, sun, people n Good places to sit n Benches for resting
n Opportunities to see
n Reasonable viewing distances n Unhindered sightlines n Interesting views n Lighting (when dark)
n Opportunities to talk and listen
n Low noise level n Street furniture that provides ‘talkscapes’
n Opportunities for play and exercise
n Invitations for creativity, physical activity, exercise and play n By day and night n In summer and winter
n Scale
n Buildings and spaces designed to human scale
n Opportunities to enjoy the positive aspects of climate
n Sun/shade n Heat/coolness n Breeze
n Positive sensory experiences
n Good design and detailing n Good materials n Fine views n Trees, plants, water
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Pedestrians First: Tools for a walkable city, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, February 2018
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One step ahead…Planning for accessible centres and connected stations: Rethinking walk access to main streets, transit and parking, David Mepham for Victora Walks, May 2018
n Professional skills n Political understanding n Public awareness and advocacy movements n Recognition that we HAVE to provide for more walking
n Climate Change: we are in total denial about GHGs from cars n Health: walking is essential for personal and community health n Economics: walkability brings economic success n The biggest demographic groups are demanding it
n Boomers n Gen Ys: driving less, flocking to walkable cities