The Walkable City
The influence of built-environment variables on pedestrian mobility and resulting guidelines for the design of non-motorised oriented urban developments
The main objective of the research project was to fill some knowledge gaps in relation to pedestrian mobility and the influence that city design has on it. In the Anglophone line of the “Walkable city”, the aim was to provide evidence and investigate ways of designing buildings, neighborhoods and cities that invite people to walk, instead of making us more and more dependent on the automobile.
To this end, up to eight parallel investigations were undertaken:
- Influence of built-environment features on pedestrian navigation and detours
- Pedestrian preferences on urban features acting as attractors (or barriers)
- Density and land-use mix in relation to pedestrian mobility
- Spatial morphology and accessibility and pedestrian mobility
- Influence of the street fitting or “amenagement”
- Influence of the building type
- Urban morphology incidence on pedestrian accidents
- Arterial roads influence on traditional market hinterlands
The full results of the 8 investigations with the review of the state of the art and the integrated conclusions can be found in the “Final Report of the Project” (Pozueta & Lamíquiz, 2009. “Informe final del Proyecto de Investigación”, unpublished doc., in Spanish) and, very summarized, in its “Executive Summary” (in English).
But, undoubtedly, the most outstanding product was the book “The Walkable City”, which has been considered as a reference by the main authors in this field since its first publication in 2009. The book was partially translated into English (Pozueta, Lamíquiz, Porto, 2013, Architecture & Pedestrians. Architectural Guidelines for a Walkable City, CEDEX, Madrid) and also republished in 2013.
Currently the paper edition of The Walkable City is out of print (Pozueta, J., Lamíquiz F., Porto M., 2009. “La Ciudad Paseable : recomendaciones para un planeamiento, un diseño urbano y una arquitectura considerados con los peatones“. Madrid: CEDEX, Ministerio de Fomento) although it can be downloaded from the web and we are working to make it officially available.
Book "The Walkable City. recommendations for a planning, urban design and architecture considered with pedestrians"
Pozueta, J., Lamíquiz F., Porto M., 2009. “La Ciudad Paseable: recomendaciones para un planeamiento, un diseño urbano y una arquitectura considerados con los peatones”. Madrid: CEDEX, Ministerio de Fomento
Purpose
The book was conceived as a practical manual, beyond the report of the research carried out. Thus, relying on these, but also on the team’s own experience and on the international literature on the subject, a careful practical guide oriented to professionals and, in particular, to students of architecture and urban planning was created.
Summary
Nowadays, with the whole planet threatened by global warming, the advantages of walking in cities are clearer than ever and have to do with its greater environmental sustainability compared to other modes, but also include economic, social and health aspects.
The aim of this guide is to offer the reader analysis, arguments and recommendations for better consideration of pedestrians in urban planning and architectural projects. It is a reasoned exposition of those urban and architectural elements likely to have an impact on pedestrian mobility, demonstrating the importance of integrating pedestrian mobility in urban-architectural conception and design.
To allow reading at different levels of depth, the guide offers different information supports: in addition to the main text, the illustrations and respective captions, which allow a quick reading by summarizing and illustrating the main arguments; the recommendations, at the end of each chapter, with the most relevant practical conclusions; the boxes that briefly describe Spanish and international plans and projects; and the appendix, “Synthesis of the results of the research project” which, together with the footnotes, reveal the scientific substrate of the book
Table of contents
- Introduction
- Pedestrian Mobility and Urban Features
- Consideration of pedestrians in municipal urban planning.
- Consideration of pedestrians in partial or area plans
- Consideration of pedestrians in architectural projects.
Annex: Results of the research project
Authors
Julio Pozueta Echavarri (Dir.)
Francisco José Lamíquiz Daudén
Mateus Porto Schettino
Graphic design
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Editor
Centro de Estudios y Experimentación de Obras Públicas – CEDEX (Ministerio de Fomento, Gobierno de España)
ISBN/ISSN
ISBN: 978-84-7790-509-7
Printer
Artegraf S.A.
Funding
Project PT-2006-036-09ICCP was funded by a competitive call from the Centro de Estudios y Experimentación de Obras Públicas del Ministerio de Fomento.
Direction and coordination from CEDEX
Miguel Pozo de Castro, Ministerio de Fomento
Alfredo Sánchez Vicente, CEDEX
Research team
Main researcher
Julio Pozueta Echavárri. PhD and civil engineer.
Coordination
Patxi J. Lamíquiz. architect and urban planner
Research collaborators
Roberto Ghidini. Civil engineer
Nuño Orgaz. Sociologist
Mateus Porto. Architect
Macarena Ruiz. Architect
interns
José Carpio. Architecture student
Blanca Fernández. Architecture student
Elena Ogando. Architecture student
Alejandro Rodríguez. Architecture student
Cristina Sánchez. Architecture student
Teresa Torres. Architecture student
Alicia Vicente. Architecture student
External advisors
Jan Gehl, Copenhague
Alfonso Sanz, Madrid
Tim Stonor, London
