Spatial Pattern of the Walkability Index, Walk Score and Walk Score Modification for Elderly

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information

卷:11

Petra Maresova¹  Pavel Kukuliac²  Lucie Orlikova²  Ondrej Kolodziej²  Jiri Horak² 

[1] Department of Economics, University of Hradec Králové, FIM, Rokitanského 62, 50003 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic;

[2] Department of Geoinformatics, VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, FMG, 17. listopadu 2172/15, Poruba, 70800 Ostrava, Czech Republic;

关键词: walkability;    Walk Score;    Walkability Index;    elderly;    sensitivity analysis;    accessibility;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijgi11050279

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Contemporary cities require excellent walking conditions to support human physical activity, increase humans’ well-being, reduce traffic, and create a healthy urban environment. Various indicators and metrics exist to evaluate walking conditions. To evaluate the spatial pattern of objective-based indicators, two popular indices were selected—the Walkability Index (WAI), representing environmental-based indicators, and Walk Score (WS), which applies an accessibility-based approach. Both indicators were evaluated using adequate spatial units (circle buffers with radii from 400 m to 2414 m) in two Czech cities. A new software tool was developed for the calculation of WS using OSM data and freely available network services. The new variant of WS was specifically designed for the elderly. Differing gait speeds, and variable settings of targets and their weights enabled the adaptation of WS to local conditions and personal needs. WAI and WS demonstrated different spatial pattern where WAI is better used for smaller radii (up to approx. 800 m) and WS for larger radii (starting from 800 m). The assessment of WS for both cities indicates that approx. 40% of inhabitants live in unsatisfactory walking conditions. A sensitivity analysis discovered the major influences of gait speed and the β coefficient on the walkability assessment.

【 授权许可】

Unknown