How urban form promotes walkability?

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a part of a doctorate thesis whose aim is to check how the form of spaces interferes in displacements on foot. The methodology here presented is only part of what was carried out in order to answer such questions. Therefore, in order to find out which factors interfere in generating trips in three neighborhoods with distinct urban forms (organic, orthogonal and contemporary), the model of trip generation by people counting was used. It was verified that the presence of a subway station (which was present in only one of the three neighborhoods), the urban form (represented by the integration index) and the presence of stairs and slopes are the most relevant factors, that is, the ones which better explain the presence of people in the points for counting in the three neighborhood under study.