Walkable Urbanism Impacts on Quality of Life Improvement Case Study: Knowledge and Innovation Community, Shanghai, China Adha Viala Urban Health Games
Content } Research motivation and topic } Research design } State of the art theory } Research questions } Research hypothesis } Research methods } Results } Conclusions } Outlooks 2
1. Research motivation and topic Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thoughts so burden-some that one cannot walk away from it Søren Kierkegaard Walking as daily activity Basic transportation option Active transport Reduce dependency on motorized transports Recreational activity Goldberg (2014): 80% of the young demographic group want to live in the walkable neighborhoods. Florida (2014): Walkability even has a role in the growth of innovative start-up economy. GSG (2014): Survey on 703 American workers to discover their opinion regarding walkable urbanism, 80% would like to live in an area where they could walk or use public transportation easily. 3
2. Research design State of the art Walkable urbanism Quality of life Encourage more usage of non-motorized transport Still relatively rare in Asian cities UN Definition: the notion of human welfare measured by social indicators Quality of life à where to live Mix-use functions Priority on walking infrastructure Connected with public transportation Quality of life GDP per capita or Standard of living. It can not be measured only from financial sector Walkability rate Health Economic Urban characteristic 4
2. The state of the art Urban planning in China Car-boom in early 1990s Auto-oriented planning à sub-urban & highways Car ownership: é145x in a decade Satellite cities: from 1990 to 2014, Shanghai s built area é162% & density ê 67% Heavy dependency on private motorized transport Smog related problems Physical activities related to commuting ê30% in two decades Shanghai is the 24th most congested city in the world 5
2. Research design Question(s) Hypothesis Method(s) 1. How was the implementation of walkable urbanism concept in Shanghai? 2. Is KIC perceived to be a walkable urban development? 3. What are the impacts of walkable urbanism on the quality of life at KIC? 4. What can we learn from KIC as a model of walkable urbanism in Asian cities? Limited implementation in Shanghai, and why? Walkable or not walkable from the user s perspective Higher economy return and healthier community Benefits from implementing walkable urbanism Literature review Expert interviews Case study selection Case study: quantitative (Walk Score) and qualitative (Expert assessment) methods Cross analysis of walkability and quality of life indicators Results analysis 6
2. Research design Case study selection } Shanghai s city center 2.00% 1.50% 1.00% 0.50% 0.00% -0.50% 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Zhabei Jing'an Yangpu Putuo Hongkou Huangpu Xuhui Changning The districts in Shanghai Source: http://goo.gl/hxif4k -1.00% The mean yearly growth of residential rent price in Shanghai downtown districts Source: Author s calculation based on Ehomeday (2016) City center à high density (50,000 inhabitants/sq km) & prime business center Contradictive growth pattern in housing prices between pre- and post 2012 Yangpu district à average pattern following the trend line 7
2. Research design Case study selection } Yangpu district } Government s pilot project } Emphasis on national economy improvement } Goal to be an innovative service district Yangpu in 1990 B Yangpu in 2015 A Yangpu s fiscal revenue: In 2000 à RMB 1.6 billion In 2011 à RMB 6.45 billion C D E F Service sector à 77% to the total revenue 8 A: KIC, B: New Jiangwan Town, C: Rainbow City, D: Tongji New Village, E: Pingliang, F: SIFC Source: Google Maps
68 2. Research design Case study selection } Yangpu district 1. Knowledge and Innovation Community Average Walk Score 77 4. Tongji New Village Average Walk Score 81 74 94 82 75 72 75 75 91 79 40 Walker s Paradise 97 80 25 84 89 92 84 87 91 Very Walkable Walker s Paradise Somew hat Walkable Car-Dependent 2 Car-Dependent 1 Very Walkable Somew hat Walkable Car-Dependent 2 Car-Dependent 1 2. New Jiangwan Town Average Walk Score 38 5. Pingliang Average Walk Score 73 26 32 89 81 31 40 39 32 87 79 93 28 32 Walker s Paradise Very Walkable Somew hat Walkable Car-Dependent 2 64 5 Walker s Paradise Very Walkable Somew hat Walkable Car-Dependent 2 Car-Dependent 1 Car-Dependent 1 3. Rainbow City Average Walk Score 92 6. Shanghai International Fashion Center Average Walk Score 72 69 95 89 95 85 72 73 95 Walker s Paradise 89 94 Walker s Paradise Very Walkable Somew hat Walkable 64 62 Very Walkable Somew hat Walkable Car-Dependent 2 Car-Dependent 1 Car-Dependent 2 Car-Dependent 1 9
2. Research design Case study selection } Analysis 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 00 KIC n= 15 New Jiangwan Town n= 21 Pingliang n= 16 Rainbow City n= 6 The comparison of average Walk Score Source: Walk Score and Google Maps SIFC n= 7 Tongji New Village n= 10 Wa lker s Paradise Very Walkable Somewhat Walkable Ca r-de pendent 2 Ca r-de pendent 1 } KIC receives an excellent average Walk Score and has the best residential values The comparison of average residential values Source: Ehomeday (2016); Peng (2015); Villable (2016) 10
2. Research design Case study selection } Knowledge and Innovation Community, Shanghai KIC Office Park Daxue Rd. Jiangwan Plaza } Government s strategy to revitalize Shanghai with science and technology and to develop the knowledge and innovation zone in Yangpu district. } Objective: to connect multilayer users through walkable community } Main characteristics: } Mix use functions and accessibility with public transportation } Small building blocks which are connected with narrow streets and plazas } Excellent sidewalks condition, with solid pavement and enough walking space 11
3. Results Walkability Audit } Questionnaire 4.2 4.2 18-24 years old 100% 4.2 90% 25-34 years old 2 2 3 3 80% 20.8 under 18 years old 70% 6 1 66.7 25-54 years old 60% 4.8 14.3 4.8 4.8 71.4 more than 55 years old University student Employed in company ReBred Public service Others 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% KIC area is comfortable for walking KIC area is safe for walking KIC area is easily accessible from variety of public transport KIC area has an KIC area has good I enjoy walking at easily accessible sidewalks sidewalk condibon KIC Disagree Agree The results from questionnaire at KIC (n=29) } Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) from Saelens, Sallis, Black, & Chen (2003) } 93% of the respondents stated that they enjoy walking at KIC } KIC is perceived to be a walkable urban place. 12
3. Results Walkability Audit } Expert assessment Walking experience Songhu Rd. Part 1 KIC Office Park Songhu Rd. Part 2 Zhengxue Rd. The walking map for expert assessment } Target group: students with architecture or urban planning background } Based on Jan Gehl s 12 quality criteria of pedestrian landscape (Gehl, 2010) } Firstly the safety aspects: high percentages of Strongly Agree and Agree responses were visible on questions related to protection against traffic and crime. Secondly the comfort aspect: the responses were mixed on all questions. Lastly the delight aspect: the vast majority of the answers were Neutral. 13 Weikang Rd. Zhengmin Rd. Daxue Rd.
3. Results Walkability Audit } Expert assessment Walking experience 100% 90% 80% Response percentage 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree 0% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Safety Comfort Delight Questions number The proportions of expert assessment responses on three questions categories (n=5) The comparison of Walk Score and expert assessment results 14
3. Results Quality of life audit } Health } Measurement tool : } Personal health variables (CDC, 2008; McCann & Ewing, 2003) } Literature review : } Decreasing the obesity chance: 35% in a walkable area; 60% in a non-walkable area (Speck, 2013) } Increasing physical activity and active lifestyle } Results: } Limited health profile } No direct correlation could be proven 15
3. Results Quality of life audit Price in RMB } Economic 50,000.00 45,000.00 40,000.00 35,000.00 30,000.00 25,000.00 20,000.00 15,000.00 10,000.00 5,000.00-25,100.00 22,900.00 20,200.00 18,700.00 37,200.00 35,300.00 45,000.00 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 2013 2014 The yearly residential As Sold Proice (ASP) in RMB per square meters Source: Shui On Land (2014) } Measurement tools : } Increase on retail, office, and residential value (Leinberger & Lynch, 2014) } y-o-y residential price increase by 5 % (Church, 2014; ULI, 2015) } Results: } From 2007 to 2014: 140% increase on residential value } From 2007 to 2014: average 17% increase in y-o-y residential price } No direct causal relationship was proven 16
Percentage of responses 100% 3. Results Quality of life audit 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% } Urban characteristics 0% Weikang Rd Zhengxue Rd Songhu Rd. Part 1 KIC Office Park Daxue Rd Zhengmin Rd Seven street sec4ons under considera4on Songhu Rd. Part 2 Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree } Measurement tool : } 12 quality criteria concerning pedestrian landscape (Gehl, 2010) } Results: } Comfort: all street sections received > 60% Agree responses } The most comfortable street sections : KIC Office Park & Daxue Rd. KIC Office Park 17 Daxue Rd.
4. Conclusions Shanghai government à implementation of sustainable planning KIC is perceived to be walkable Benefits of walkable urbanism à healthier and happier residents, profitable investment and better urban planning People s demand for walkable urbanism Strong cooperation between all stakeholders is essential Improvement on the urban planning code 1. How was the implementation of walkable urbanism concept in Shanghai? 2. Is KIC perceived to be a walkable urban development? 3. What are the impacts of walkable urbanism on the quality of life at KIC? 4. What can we learn from KIC as a model of walkable urbanism in Asian cities? 18
5. Outlooks } Further cooperative studies with other field of studies are recommended } Investment in walkable urbanism à can improve quality of life 19
} Thank you for your attention. } Are there any questions? 20