Jak mierzyć przyjazność przestrzeni dla ruchu pieszego?
How to measure urban space walkability?

Summary/Abstract: Walking as the elementary and most natural transport mode is often viewed as neglected. In the course of the 20th century it has lost its significance due to modernist visions and the dynamic development of motor vehicles. In the recent years we observe a change in the way walking is perceived and the resulting prioritizing of it as a transport system. As recent research studies make evident, pedestrians-oriented urban projects facilitate sustainable development of cities and prove to have a positive impact on the physical activity of the inhabitants and their overall health. That raises the question: how to evaluate the walkability of a specific space? Recently, a number of research studies have attempted to determine the degree of impact that particular factors exercise on human physical activity. The present article systematises recent concepts of walkability measurement on the basis of the relevant literature and, in particular, on the basis of two cross-sectional comparative papers that bring together the dispersed knowledge on the subject. The article considers the key measurement methods as well as their advantages and potential limitations. In the summary possible applications of research results and outlooks for research methods have been proposed. It is necessary to verify the methods used in the Polish local conditions. In order to secure more comparability of results the author claims a standardisation of indicators, as well as inclusion of internal factors that might influence the differentiation of walking behaviours. Finally, making use of big data is recommended.

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