An analysis of environment behavior relationships towards the design of a local mixed-used street: Based on behavior settings of Belgium Street in Cebu City, Philippines

Abstract

Streets function as public spaces that improve the aspects of social sustainability by accommodating the daily activities of people, further contributing to the strengthening of relationships in society and the expansion of people's social networks. This research focuses on studying the relationship of human behavior and the street environment in Cebu, Philippines, which can help to contribute to a better approach towards street improvements. Filipino behavior settings were identified and classified based upon people's activities on the street that were gathered using the Behavior Mapping Method. From the analysis of behavior settings on the behavior maps, the current use of the street has been classified into zones, and has shown potential for street sharing by being flexible enough to accommodate both behavior settings and vehicular traffic at different times. Based on the findings of the analysis, design proposals were created as an interview tool to extract information from respondents on the street. From the results of the interviews, considerations such as the importance of preserving the existing behavior settings, promoting safety, and preventing conflicts on the street can be used to develop an improved street design.