Walkability–the New Urbanism principle for urban regeneration

Abstract

Walking should be one of the primary modes of transportation in sustainable cities, being more environmentally friendly, sociable, and health conscious. The principles of New Urbanism (NU) promote walkability, creating urban patterns that support the needs of pedestrians. With that in mind, this study aims to define the relationship between walkability and NU in the context of urban regeneration, establishing the urban attributes that influence walkability in the revival of post-industrial areas. The research comes from a statistical analysis of the flow of people in Księży Młyn (Poland) and a field study from Carré de Soie (France) where urban attributes potentially determining walkability were evaluated. The study confirms that pedestrian traffic and urban form can be optimised through a holistic approach. It sets out the relationship between walkability and various phenomena, including i) social–how users behave in public spaces (the role of pedestrians and cars), and to whom the space is dedicated; ii) economic–how the attractiveness of the service and commercial offer are improving, and how real estate prices are changing; and iii) environmental–how the visual attractiveness of the place and the convenience of the space for pedestrians has improved (shop frontage and accessibility).