Rörelse i staden är avgörande för hur staden fungerar. Platser och stråk med stora flöden har annorlunda förutsättningar än platser och stråk med små flöden. Flödena påverkas i sin tur av stadens struktur.  Det här examensarbetet handlar om hur förtätning kan vara en del i en medveten förändring av stadsstrukturen och hur man genom förändringar i stadsstrukturen kan skapa varierande rumsliga förutsättningar som kan utgöra ett ramverk för framtida utformning. Föremålet för den här studien är området runt Årstabergs pendeltågsstation i södra Stockholm. Området är en viktig kollektivtrafikknutpunkt och många människor passerar här dagligen för att byta mellan olika kollektivtrafikslag. Men det finns få rumsliga förutsättningar för att man ska röra sig här till fots av någon annan anledning. Genom att förbättra den rumsliga integrationen mellan Årstaberg och omkringliggande stadsdelar och genom förtätning i strategiska lägen skapas en diversitet av rumsliga förutsättningar i området. Baserat på dessa olika förutsättningar utvecklas principer fram för program, offentliga platser och byggnadernas möte med det offentliga rummet. / Movement in a city is crucial for how the city works. Streets and spaces with big flows of people have different potential than streets and spaces where few people moves. The flow of people is in turn influenced by the urban structure. This master thesis examines how densification can be a part of a transformation of the urban structure and how changes of the urban structure can create a variety of spatial conditions that forms a framework for future urban design. The case for this study is the area around Årstaberg commuter station in southern Stockholm. The area is an important transit hub and many people passes here every day to switch between transport modes. But there are few spatial conditions that promote walking here for any other reason. Through changes of the spatial integration and densification in strategic locations a diversity of spatial conditions are created. Based on these different conditions principles for the program, public spaces and building frontages are developed.

This thesis explores the relationship between crime, transportation network connectivity, and engineered facilities built to increase walkability through a case study of twenty-five sites within the city of Spokane, Washington. Using data spanning between 2008 and 2010, the author developed a GIS model representing conditions of the built environment, social and economic demographics, and crime rates within the randomly chosen sites. A partial F-test revealed little to no evidence that the transportation network connectivity affected crime rates within the study sites. Using permutation tests, the author found that specific pedestrian facility infrastructure correlated to higher crime rates as defined for the specific study sites. In all, this research provided patterns between crime rates and transportation networks which may be further explored in future research. / Graduation date: 2012

This study sought to determine how five neighbourhood models (the Grid, Loop and Cul-de-Sac, Fused Grid, New Urbanist and Greenway) compare in terms of the characteristics known to affect active transportation rates, and which model is most likely to be able to facilitate active transportation as a result. In order to do so, model principles and design characteristics of case study neighbourhoods were described and used to create a range of design specifications for each model. These specifications were then used to develop a GIS-based representation of an example neighbourhood for each model, which included the transportation network, parcels of different land use types and densities, homes and destinations. GIS, statistical and graph-based techniques were then used to comprehensively assess and compare the models in terms of their potential to facilitate walking and biking through the built environment correlates identified in through a literature review. The models were ranked on each variable, and then an overall comparison was made on the basis diversity (land use mix), density and design - the three dimensions identified by Cervero and Kockelman (1997) as being the key ways through which the built environment can contribute to creating walkable (and potentially bikeable) neighbourhoods. Additional measures related to trip characteristics and issues of importance to developers (such as buildable area) were also included. The results illustrate how each model’s unique approach to facilitating walking and/or biking is reflected in the built environment characteristics assessed. While a model that was strong in one category was often weaker in another (a finding which echoes that of Filion and Hammond, 2003), the three alternative models (Fused Grid, New Urbanist and Greenway) consistently fared better than the more traditional Grid and Loop and Cul-de-Sac designs, with the New Urbanist scoring the highest on the overall evaluation of walkability and bikeability and the Greenway the best on network design for cyclists. In addition to these findings, the study also provided an opportunity to explore several challenges related to model assessment, such as issues arising from frame choice, off-set networks, and the use of roads as proxies for active transportation networks.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIORS AND NEIGHBORHOOD WALKABILITY PERCEPTIONS OF TURKISH WOMEN IN LOW AND HIGH SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTS Yildirim, G&uuml / lsen M.S., Department of Physical Education and Sports Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Levent nce September 2010, 65 pages The purposes of this study were to compare (a) the physical activity (PA) levels, (b) exercise stages of change levels and (c) neighborhood walkability perceptions of Turkish women who are living in Low and High socio-economic (SES) environments. Initially, Low SES and High SES neighborhoods in Ankara were identified by using the classification of Turkish Statistical Institute. Participants were randomly selected 394 women (Low SES=188, High SES=206) between the ages of 18-65 living in these neighborhoods. For data collection, International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ) / Physical Activity Stages of Change Questionnaire (PASCQ), and Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale- Abbreviated (NEWS-A) were used. Descriptive statistics, nonparametric statistical methods (Mann Whitney U test, Pearson chi-square test) and MANOVA were used for the data analysis. According to the IPAQ results, there was no significant difference in walking and vigorous levels by women&rsquo / s neighborhood SES (p&gt / 0.05). However / moderate and total PA level of women living in High SES neighborhoods were significantly higher than the related levels of women living in Low SES neighborhoods (p&lt / 0.05). The results on exercise stages of change levels indicated that the women in Low SES neighborhoods had a higher percentage at precontemplation stage than those of women in High SES neighborhoods (p&lt / 0.05). On he other hand, a higher percentage of women in High SES neighborhoods were at maintenance stage (p&lt / 0.05). NEWS-A results revealed that there were significant differences in women&rsquo / s neighborhood walkability perception by their neighborhood SES, Wilk&rsquo / s = .33, F (8,382) = 97.57, p &lt / .05, 2 = .67. According to further univariate analyses, there were significant differences in all NEWS-A subscales by neighborhood SES in favor of High SES neighborhood, except for the &ldquo / pedestrian/traffic safety&rdquo / subscale (p&lt / 0.05). There were no significant difference in pedestrian/traffic safety scale by neighborhood SES (p&gt / 0.05). In conclusion, women who live in Low SES neighborhood have a higher risk of physical inactivity.Moreover, perceptions of neighborhood environment for the promotion and support of PA were lower in Low SES neighborhood residents as compared to their High SES neighborhood counterparts. Intervention programs for women living in these areas should be provided by considering their PA level, exercise stages of change level and neighborhood walkability perceptions.

ABSTRACT INCREASING WALKABILITY IN PUBLIC SPACES OF CITY CENTRES: THE CASE OF TUNALI HILMI STREET, ANKARA GHADIMKHANI, PARISA M.Sc., the Department of City and Regional Planning in Urban Design Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. M&Uuml / GE AKKAR ERCAN May 2011, 204 pages Liveability and walkability have recently become one of the major policy topics in the agenda of many cities all over the world because of the negative effects of car-oriented urban developments that have impoverished physical, social, cultural, economic and environmental values of cities. In Ankara, however, the urban development policies based on the decentralization of the city centre and inner city, the impoverished public transportation services and infrastructure, the increasing car-dependent development and the neglect of pedestrians accessibility within the urban public spaces in last twenty years have decreased the walkability and therefore liveability of the city center. This thesis aims to investigate the notion of &lsquo / walkability&rsquo / in urban space, specifically in urban public space, and to identify the measures of &lsquo / walkability&rsquo / . By employing a case study method, it examines how far Tunali Hilmi Street (THS) - one of the major high streets and public spaces of Ankara - is a walkable street and identifies the positive and negative factors which effect its walkability capacity. The analysis on THS is carried out through six measures of the walkability: safety, orientation, attractiveness, comfort, diversity and local destination. Based on the findings of the investigation, this thesis gives recommendations which are practical and which can be implemented on the design of the case study area, as well as on the public spaces that are similar to THS in Ankara or other cities. Key words: Liveability, sustainability, walkability, public space, urban design, Ankara, Tunali Hilmi Street

This study sought to determine how five neighbourhood models (the Grid, Loop and Cul-de-Sac, Fused Grid, New Urbanist and Greenway) compare in terms of the characteristics known to affect active transportation rates, and which model is most likely to be able to facilitate active transportation as a result. In order to do so, model principles and design characteristics of case study neighbourhoods were described and used to create a range of design specifications for each model. These specifications were then used to develop a GIS-based representation of an example neighbourhood for each model, which included the transportation network, parcels of different land use types and densities, homes and destinations. GIS, statistical and graph-based techniques were then used to comprehensively assess and compare the models in terms of their potential to facilitate walking and biking through the built environment correlates identified in through a literature review. The models were ranked on each variable, and then an overall comparison was made on the basis diversity (land use mix), density and design - the three dimensions identified by Cervero and Kockelman (1997) as being the key ways through which the built environment can contribute to creating walkable (and potentially bikeable) neighbourhoods. Additional measures related to trip characteristics and issues of importance to developers (such as buildable area) were also included. The results illustrate how each model’s unique approach to facilitating walking and/or biking is reflected in the built environment characteristics assessed. While a model that was strong in one category was often weaker in another (a finding which echoes that of Filion and Hammond, 2003), the three alternative models (Fused Grid, New Urbanist and Greenway) consistently fared better than the more traditional Grid and Loop and Cul-de-Sac designs, with the New Urbanist scoring the highest on the overall evaluation of walkability and bikeability and the Greenway the best on network design for cyclists. In addition to these findings, the study also provided an opportunity to explore several challenges related to model assessment, such as issues arising from frame choice, off-set networks, and the use of roads as proxies for active transportation networks.

Objectives were to improve conceptualization of associations between built environment characteristics (BECs) and walking, synthesize evidence on associations, and propose future research that addresses limitations in existing studies. I designed a conceptual framework of hypothesized BEC - walking associations. I conducted a systematic review, searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and TRID for studies investigating BEC - walking associations. Two reviewers screened articles for inclusion. I assessed methodological quality and extracted data from included studies. I used the framework’s hypothesized associations to categorize and synthesize results, then analyzed study limitations and proposed future research that would address many limitations. The review identified 13 studies with 64 estimates that met all criteria. None of the framework’s hypothesized associations had a statistically significant majority of estimates that were statistically significant. Evidence is lacking on BEC – walking associations and more research is needed that addresses methodological issues such as heterogeneous BEC measures and geographic homogeneity.

Inom stadsplanering finns idag ett stort fokus på skapandet av gångvänliga städer med godtagbara gångavstånd. En gångvänlig miljö kan förkorta både det upplevda och det faktiska avståndet. Begränsningar i vad som finns tillgängligt inom ett accepterbart gångavstånd kan leda till att många väljer att åka bil framför att transportera sig till fots. Kollektivtrafik kan utöka räckvidden för fotgängare, vilket kräver att även promenader till och från stationer är, och upplevs, kortare. Gävle kommun planerar en ny tågstation som kommer att innebära en ökad tillgänglighet till kollektivtrafik för många människor, och således ett ökat användande av hållbara transporter. Studiens syfte har varit att undersöka hur miljöns utformning påverkar upplevda och faktiska avstånd för fotgängare. Målet var att skapa underlag för hur stationsnära miljöer kan utformas för att främja gångtrafik, med förhoppningen att fler ska vilja promenera till och från närliggande målpunkter anslutna till Gävles nya station. De teorier som utvecklats i studien appliceras på verkligheten genom att ett förslag för den nya stationen presenteras. Eftersom Gävle kommun befinner sig tidigt i planeringsprocessen gjordes en flerfallsstudie för att studera liknande områden som kan generaliseras till tågstationen. En dokumentstudie utfördes för att ta reda på vad sakkunniga framhåller som viktigt vid planering av tågstationer samt hur andra kommuner planerar för att uppnå gångvänliga stationsmiljöer. För att undersöka hur fotgängare rör sig i stationsnära miljöer utfördes observationer och inventeringar av befintliga stråk. Stråk kring planområdet för tågstationen undersöktes för att erhålla kunskap om området, vilket låg till grund för att kunna ge lämpliga förslag på framtida utformning. Studien resulterade i fyra aspekter som alla behövs för att skapa gångvänliga miljöer i stationsnära lägen. Studien har dessutom visat vikten av att gångvänliga miljöer planeras utifrån fotgängarens perspektiv, vilket kräver att miljön som planeras upplevs med en fotgängares ögon. / Urban planning today emphasizes the creation of walkable cities with acceptable walking distances. A walkable environment can shorten both the perceived and the actual distance. Limitations in what is available within acceptable walking distance result in people choosing to go by car rather than walking. Public transport can complete the trip, which requires that both perceived and actual distances to and from stations are shorter. Gävle municipality is planning a new train station, which will give many people increased access to public transport and thus potentially increase the use of sustainable transportation. The aim of the study has been to investigate how the design of the environment affects pedestrians perceived and actual distances. The objective was to create a basis for how station environments can be designed to promote pedestrian traffic, hoping that more people would be willing to walk to access Gävle’s new station. The theories developed in the study are applied to reality by presenting a proposal for the new station. A multiple case study was conducted to study similar areas that can be generalized to the new train station, since the municipality is in the planning phase. What experts emphasize as important when planning train stations and how other municipalities plan to achieve walkable train station environments was reviewed in useful documents. In order to investigate how pedestrians walk within the area around train stations, observations and inventories of existing footpaths were carried out. Paths around the plan area of the train station were explored to obtain knowledge about the area, which made up a basis in order to give suitable suggestions for future design. The study resulted in four aspects that are all required when creating walkable environments around stations. The study has also shown the importance of the pedestrian perspective when planning walkable environments, which requires that the planning area is experienced through the eyes of a pedestrian.

No description available.

Sidewalks provide many community services, yet not much geospatial research exists regarding sidewalks, especially in Mississippi. The purpose of this thesis was to use geographic information systems to inventory and map sidewalks for Starkville, MS and to compare sidewalk availability and quality to 2010 US census block demographics. In Starkville, sidewalks served 28% of the census block population, which classifies the city as “Car-Dependent” according to a Walk Score criteria. Majority minority census blocks and majority white census blocks had similar proportions of sidewalks. However, 97% of “Excellent” quality and 64 more sections of ADA compliant sidewalks were within majority white census blocks or commercial census blocks. Residential census blocks, especially majority minority blocks, have 26% less connectivity and an overall less dense sidewalk network. Starkville sidewalks have greatly improved since initial construction, but it seems that the current sidewalk infrastructure still reflects historical settlement and zoning patterns.