Conceptualising the indicators of walkability for sustainable transportation

Walkability is becoming a popular buzzword in planning cities that suffers high level of pollution due to, amongst others, emission from automobiles are embracing walkability in order to reap its benefits. In addition to that, walkability is the measure of how satisfactorily the transportation system meets the need of walking of the community. Several studies around the world have put great efforts to highlight the importance of walkability in urban as it is an important measure in determining a better environment. There is a strong relationship between walkability, sustainable transportation and the environment. In addition to that, walkability is a concept that is consistent with sustainable development and transportation system due to its economic, social and environmental benefits. Walkability satisfaction rating within a localized neighborhood can be measured at the macro level with the aid of GIS at the initial development stages. The methods and techniques used are varying and no single walkability assessment tool can be designed to suit different environmental conditions. Different groups of societies for whom the theoretical and practical perception of cities development vary, or different types of neighborhoods with different needs would warrant different approaches. Therefore, this paper examines the methods, techniques and indicators that have been used to measure walkability and highlights the important benefits of improving walkability in the built environment. Moreover it also describes the relationship between walkability, sustainable transportation and environment. © 2013 Penerbit UTM Press. All rights reserved.