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The Problem of Walkability
There is currently much talk about creating walkable environments and improving walkability. Such strategies are meant to solve numerous problems from the obesity crisis and a lack of central city vibrancy to traffic congestion, environmental injustice, and social isolation. However, what exactly is meant by 'walkability' and the related idea of the walkable place? This article reviews the English-language literature on walkability - from research, practice and popular discussions - and proposes that the term is used to refer to several quite different kinds of phenomena. Some discussions of walkability focus on the means or conditions by which walking is enabled, including areas being traversable, compact, physically enticing, or safe. Others propose that walkability is about the outcomes or performance of such walkable environments, such as making places lively and sociable, enhancing transportation options, or inducing exercise. A final set of discussions uses the term walkability as a proxy for better urban places - with some paying attention to walkability being multidimensional and measurable and others proposing that enhancing walkability provides a holistic solution to a variety of urban problems.
This review problematizes the idea of walkability and draws out implications for debates in urban design. It first explores why the confusion about the term and the outcomes it can produce is problematic, not least because some of the outcomes conflict. It then proposes nine different themes dealt with in definitions. These themes imply varying approaches to improving walkability, from the compact city and New Urbanism to Radburn planning, safe routes to school, and trail-based approaches. It concludes by proposing two approaches to defining physical walkability that nest into a larger conceptualization of the term. First is a minimal definition based on having basic conditions for walking (traversability), combined with closeness and minimal safety. Second, the term walkability can be more clearly specified in terms of purpose. In doing this, scholars and practitioners would also more clearly distinguish between walkability features or means, walkability outcomes, and walkability as a proxy for improved, or at least measurable, place-making.
In addition, more can be done in urban design to consider the many factors beyond physical components that come together to make a walkable place, however it is defined. These include pricing of relevant...