Importance and planning of pedestrian streets in urban environment

Abstract

An increasing problem in cities is the growth of the number of motorised vehicles making the urban environment unsafe and unattractive and reducing residents’ willingness to walk. The study explores the problems associated with the development of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure in the city. The importance of pedestrian movement in the urban environment was studied and several pedestrian streets in Latvia were analyzed. The method for evaluation of the quality of a pedestrian street was developed based on the summarizing and analysis of the information from the available literature sources. The method includes criteria that make a pedestrian street high-quality and easy-to-use public space that is suitable not only for walking but also as a multifunctional place for various activities. The authors have worked out recommendations for creating a spatial structure and landscape design in urban environment focusing on the necessity to install good quality and sustainable outdoor design elements, to provide environmental accessibility as well as to include pedestrian streets in the city’s overall green infrastructure network, based on both social and environmental aspects. The recommendations provided can be used for the development of design guidelines and as educational material for landscape architects and urban planners.