Defining and Assessing Walkability in Tehran

Walking is an effective means of internal transportation for short trips. With the exception ofcycling, walking is the only means of human movement by which physical activity isencouraged, local economies are stimulated, and environmental detriments caused by vehicularemissions are lessened. However, walkability is influenced by cityscape including builtenvironments and streetscape. The term walkability is defined by quantifying multiple builtenvironment attributes at the neighbourhood level trying to describe the extent to which anurban environment is pedestrian-friendly. At the same time, walking has generally receivedlittle or no attention in the planning, design, and development of Tehran within the past years.The main aim of this paper is to review the walkability of Tehran as the capital of the countryand the most populated city of Iran. The study adopts a review of the literature and qualitativeapproach to evaluate the perceived walkability in Tehran based on the users' experience. Thisarticle also analyses the respondent's perceptions of ۱۵ elements of the built environment andstreetscape. An Exploratory Factor Analysis was carried out to determine the correlationsamong various attributes to identify the underlying walkability determinants. The pilotobservation revealed pedestrian infrastructure and well-balanced design can improve the levelof facilities for walkability while formulating new policies can create a shift from a morevehicle-oriented city towards a proper condition of walkways and streetscape suited forexperiencing the city on foot.

Keywords:

Walking street , Streetscape quality , Perceived walkability , Walking safety