AbstractCalculating Neighborhood Walkability with Spatial AnalystTrack: Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Affairs Author One of the most important aspects of urban community planning is the creation of walkable neighborhoods. But what factors truly determine walkability, and do they apply equally to every resident? Existing approaches to determining walkability generally measure straight-line distances between locations and do not always consider impediments to walking in particular areas, such as rivers, highways, extreme topography, and even crime incidence. The locations that individual residents prefer to be walkable will also vary. For example, a family with children would want schools and playgrounds to be within walking distance, whereas an elderly resident might be more concerned with the medical care, grocery stores and social activities. This presentation will outline the development of a series of walkability metrics for Philadelphia using ArcView and Spatial Analyst that takes a more realistic approach to determining walkability by analyzing real world conditions that both encourage and prevent neighborhood residents from walking. Tamara Manik-Perlman Azavea 340 N 12th Street, Suite 402 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107 United States Phone: 215-701-7687 E-mail: tmanik-perlman@azavea.com Aaron Ogle Azavea 340 N 12th Street, Suite 402 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107 United States Phone: 215-701-7722 E-mail: aogle@azavea.com |