Ortegon-Sanchez, Adriana; Tyler, Nick; Jones, Peter; (2016) Built environment effects on perceived accessibility to positive and negative quality networks. Presented at: Walk21 2016, Hong Kong.

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Abstract

The objective of this research is to understand how the built environment at the neighbourhood level influences people’s wellbeing. This impact is assessed in relation to the conditions provided by the built environment to undertake necessary and voluntary activities. To achieve this objective, we analyse the relationship between built environment characteristics at the neighbourhood level and people’s perception of their frequent activities area. This analysis is done using qualitative data collected through 106 one-on-one mapping interviews conducted in 2 areas in London in the context of the ESRC Street Mobility and Network accessibility project by the Mapping for Change team. The data provides information on each person’s perception of positive and negative quality networks in the vicinity of their place of residence. The quality networks are described in terms of each person’s perceived access to specific destinations, services or activities and the transport mode used to reach them -with ‘walking’ being considered as one of the travel modes-. For the identified area of activities, objective built environment variables such as network access time by activity, public transport provision and quality of pedestrian infrastructure were analysed. The positive and negative quality networks and the built environment variables were visualized using GIS mapping. From the qualitative data analysis and visualization two main emerging concepts regarding people’s perception of the quality of their built environment were identified. First, the analysis shows that although high-traffic roads and busy crossings are perceived as negative elements in the area, the potential discomforts caused by the roads were countervailed by positive qualities of the surrounding built environment used by people to access their everyday activities. Users described these positive qualities in relation to their convenient access (e.g. walking access) to the network of ‘liked’ (positive) places or facilities within their area. These elements included public places like libraries, community centres, health centres and green and blue areas; spontaneous gathering spaces like the school gate or the farmers’ market; other social spaces like gyms and places of worship, or skill exchange; finally bus stops, which were described by participants as the entrance point to a larger network of activities. Second, participants described adaptation strategies for reaching their desired destinations whilst avoiding ‘unpleasant’ (negative) features of their neighbourhood or of the physical built environment. These adaptation strategies were partly enabled by the characteristics of the street network which is well connected and offers good pedestrian route directness (average index of 1.4 for necessary activities). The street network in the areas provided various route options for pedestrian mobility giving people the flexibility to complete their journeys via their preferred route which also provided a sense of autonomy that increased their positive perception of the area. Saelens and Handy (2008) found street connectivity to be positively correlated to walking. The authors explain that this effect can be linked to accessibility as it means more direct routes, hence, shorter distance to destinations, moreover has been linked to the increase availability of route choices (Saelens and Handy, 2008)

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