Engineers and Walkability A match made in heaven or a toxic relationship? The Cleaner, Greener, Leaner Study Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy Centre for Preventative Medicine, Dublin City University (PhD Candidate) Funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and National Development Plan STRIVE Programme
Attractive walkable neighbourhoods Increase in neighbourhood walking Less car trips Less carbon emissions Increased likelihood of meeting PA guidelines Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
At least 30 minutes a day of moderate activity on 5 days a week (or 150 minutes a week) Decreased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Obesity High Blood Pressure Stroke Type 2 Diabetes Depression Colon and Breast Cancers The National Guidelines for Physical Activity for Ireland (2008)
What is Walkability Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Transport Planners & Engineers Connectivity Densities & Trip Generators Paths & Crossing Accessibility Pedestrian Level of Service Lo (2010) Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Movement Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Architects, Landscape Architects and Urban Designers Space as a Destination not just a Route Attractive & Interesting Pedestrian Comfort & Safety Transparency/ Overlooking Natural Features Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
The extent to which the built environment is friendly to the presence of people walking, living, shopping, visiting, enjoying or spending time in an area Les Burden Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Place Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
What is Walkability Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Who s Responsible? Spatial Planners Transport Planners Urban Designers Architects Landscape Architects Public Representatives Engineers Public Health Professionals Advocates Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Web based delivery platform Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
N= 216, Average Age: 39.7 years, 58% Male Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Inner City Map with markers Greater City Map with Markers
Professional Disciplines of Participants 15% 12% 12% 8% 15% 22% 8% 8% Architect Urban Designer Landscape architect Spatial Planner Transport planner Transport engineer Public Health Public Representitive N= 26 Male/ Female Mean Age Age Range 5 Focus groups 15/11 39.5yrs 25 to 58yrs Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
High Walkable Not Deprived High Walkable Deprived Low Walkable Not Deprived Low Walkable Deprived
Method 16 Neighbourhoods Response Rate 47% N=1061, 37% Male, Average Age 46.9yrs (+ 16.1)
Results Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Human Health is affected by the way we plan and design our communities and transport systems All Agreed Engineers < Public Health and Advocacy & Architecture and Design Carbon Emissions are effected by the way we plan and design our communities and transport systems All Agreed Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Professional differences 17 out of 48 Built Environment Factors 15 involved Engineers and Transport Planners Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Professional differences I understood the question as a place to go for a (recreational) walk [Public Representative], I was thinking livability more than walkability [Architect]. One of the things that I think is interesting, Our backgrounds have a bearing on how we address walkability... maybe that is deliberate, but I just thought it was interesting in the group, [how we] all introduced ourselves, how that is actually reflected in the answers that we gave [Spatial Planner] Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Walkability means different things to different people and it also means different things to the same person under different circumstances [Spatial Planner] Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Considerations Ability Feasibility (Alfonzo 2005) Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Contextual: Trip purpose If I am going to work I want to be sure of that direct route, if I am going for a walk on a Sunday afternoon I want to meander, I don t necessarily want to get to somewhere [Spatial Planner] Time of day and perception of safety Mood Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Scale human scale is a perception of relative size or distance to the human body (Ewing, et al. 2006, Gehl 2010). Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Scale Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Scale Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Scale Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Three Types of Scale 1) Escapism Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Three Types of Scale 1)Escapism 2) Human Scale Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Three Types of Scale 1)Escapism 2)Human Scale 3) Carchitecture Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Connectivity Two distinct community designs (Saelens, Sallis and Frank 2003)
Standardised mean score (z) Neighbourhood Perceptions ** High Walkable Deprived High Walkable Deprived (N=278) High Walkable Not Deprived High Walkable Not Deprived (N=279) Low Walkable Deprived Low Walkable Deprived (N=262) Low Walkable Not Deprived Low Walkable Not Deprived (N=242) 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0-0.2-0.4 Human Scale -0.6-0.8-1 ** <.01, * <.05 ** Scale Carchitecture
Results Points of note Residential Density Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Livability Point to note Destinations Imageability Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Permeability Ease of movement through an area Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Connectivity Two distinct community designs (Saelens, Sallis and Frank 2003)
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Walking time waiting time Copenhagen Denmark
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
M50/N2 Junction by csd75 on Flickr
Jay walking and pedestrian tunnels 101 pedestrians (23 %) 336 pedestrians (77 %)
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
permeable, legible and easy to move through. high connectivity appropriately designed road crossings reflect pedestrian desire lines. good public transport Streets are designed to slow traffic to walking speed Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Standardised mean score (z) Standardised mean score (z) Neighbourhood Perceptions ** High Walkable Deprived High Walkable Deprived (N=278) High Walkable Not Deprived High Walkable Not Deprived (N=279) Low Walkable Deprived Low Walkable Deprived (N=262) Low Walkable Not Deprived Low Walkable Not Deprived (N=242) ** 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0-0.2 0.2 0-0.2-0.4-0.6-0.8-1 -0.4-0.6-0.8-1 ** <.01, * <.05 ** Permeability ** Public Transport
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy
Standardised mean score (z) Neighbourhood Perceptions ** High Walkable Deprived High Walkable Deprived (N=278) High Walkable Not Deprived High Walkable Not Deprived (N=279) Low Walkable Deprived Low Walkable Deprived (N=262) Low Walkable Not Deprived Low Walkable Not Deprived (N=242) 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0-0.2-0.4-0.6-0.8-1 ** <.01, * <.05 ** Crime and Disorder
Behaviours
Standardised mean score (z) Standardised mean score (z) Behaviours High Walkable Deprived High Walkable Deprived (N=278) High Walkable Not Deprived High Walkable Not Deprived (N=279) Low Walkable Deprived Low Walkable Deprived (N=262) Low Walkable Not Deprived Low Walkable Not Deprived (N=242) ** ** Cars per Adult 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.2 0-0.2 0.2 High Walkable Deprived High Walkable Not Deprived 0 Low Walkable Deprived Low Walkable Not Deprived -0.2-0.4-0.4-0.6-0.6 ** <.01, * <.05 ** ** Cars per Adult Individual Fuel Spend
Standardised mean score (z) Behaviours High Walkable Deprived High Walkable Deprived (N=278) High Walkable Not Deprived High Walkable Not Deprived (N=279) Low Walkable Deprived Low Walkable Deprived (N=262) Low Walkable Not Deprived Low Walkable Not Deprived (N=242) ** 0.6 0.4 0.2 0-0.2-0.4-0.6 Scoring: Active = 3 Public Transport = 2 Motorised = 1 ** <.01, * <.05-0.8-1 -1.2 ** Average Mode Score
Standardised mean score (z) Standardised mean score (z) Behaviours High Walkable Deprived High Walkable Deprived (N=278) High Walkable Not Deprived High Walkable Not Deprived (N=279) Low Walkable Deprived Low Walkable Deprived (N=262) Low Walkable Not Deprived Low Walkable Not Deprived (N=242) 0.4 ** 0.25 * 0.3 0.2 0.15 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.05 0 0-0.1-0.05-0.2-0.1-0.3-0.4 ** Active Travel Minutes 1 Recreational Walking Minutes 1-0.15-0.2 ** ** <.01, * <.05 1 minutes per week
Conclusions Profession does influence view of walkability Movement and Place
(DMURS 2013)
Conclusions Profession does influence view of walkability Movement and Place Scale Connectivity and Permeability Role of perceptions and context
Acknowledgements Dr Catherine Woods Centre for Preventative Medicine, Dublin City University Prof. Kevin Leyden Whitaker Institute, National College of Ireland, Galway Prof. James Wickham Employment Research Centre, Trinity College Dublin Dr Norah Nelson - School of Culture and Lifestyles at the University of Derby Environmental Protection Agency Participants Data collectors
Questions? lfitzsimonsdcu@gmail.com @LorraineFitzsim Lorraine Fitzsimons D Arcy