Assessment of Walkability and Walking Potential in Hua Sai Subdistrict Municipality for Urban Environment Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/jeit.2025.9Keywords:
Walkability Index, Sidewalk Assessment, Hua Sai Subdistrict Municipality, Pedestrian Safety, Road CrossingAbstract
Walking is a basic form of transportation that is important in accessing services and daily activities, promoting health, reducing energy consumption, and supporting sustainable urban development. This research aims to study the problems and assess the walkability within Hua Sai Subdistrict Municipality, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, using the Walkability Index (WI) as the main tool, along with a mixed-methods research methodology, consisting of a questionnaire survey of 400 residents, in-depth interviews with local officials, and field surveys. The evaluation results showed that the average WI index score was 71.18, which is in the “Good” level. The factors that most affect walkability are the maintenance and cleanliness of sidewalks, the availability of crosswalks, and safety from crime. However, there are still limitations regarding facilities for the disabled, the safety of crossing the road in some areas, and drivers’ behavior that is not friendly to pedestrians. This research presents guidelines for developing sidewalk infrastructure that is continuous, safe, and accessible to all groups of people, especially the vulnerable, such as the elderly and the disabled. The results of the study are important data that can be used to support local policies to promote walking in communities and achieve sustainable urban development goals.
References
[1] J. Gehl, Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space, 6th ed. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2011.
[2] L. D. Frank, P. Engelke and T. L. Schmid, Health and Community Design: The Impact of the Built Environment on Physical Activity. [Online]. Available: ResearchGate, vol. 59, pp. 250–251, 2003.
[3] V. Mehta, "Walkable streets: pedestrian behavior, perceptions and attitudes," J. Urbanism: Int. Res. Placemaking Urban Sustain., vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 217–245, Nov. 2008. DOI: 10.1080/17549170802529480.
[4] S. H. Rogers, et al., "Examining walkability and social capital as indicators of quality of life at the municipal and neighborhood scales," Appl. Res. Qual. Life, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 201–213, Jun. 2011. DOI: 10.1007/s11482-010-9132-4.
[5] M. Southworth, "Designing the walkable city," J. Urban Plann. Dev., vol. 131, no. 4, pp. 246–257, Dec. 2005. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9488(2005)131:4(246).
[6] T. Litman, Evaluating Transportation Equity. Victoria, Canada: Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 2017.
[7] R. Ewing and R. Cervero, "Travel and the built environment: A meta-analysis," J. Am. Plann. Assoc., vol. 76, no. 3, pp. 265–294, Jun. 2010. DOI: 10.1080/01944361003766766.
[8] E. Leslie, et al., "Walkability of local communities: Using geographic information systems to objectively assess relevant environmental attributes," Health Place, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 111–122, Mar. 2007. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2005.11.001.
[9] J. Pichitlamken and J. Kamphorst, "Pedestrian infrastructure and walkability in Thai cities," Urban Stud. J., vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 320–337, 2020.
[10] United Nations, "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," 2015. [Online]. Available: https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda. [Accessed: Mar. 10, 2025].
[11] H. V. Krambeck, "The global walkability index," M.S. thesis, Dept. Urban Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006. [Online]. Available: https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/34409. [Accessed: Mar. 10, 2025].
[12] J. Leather, H. Fabian, G. Sudhir and A. Mejia, Walkability and Pedestrian Facilities in Asian Cities: State and Issues, Asian Development Bank, no. 17, 2011. [Online]. Available: https://www.adb.org/publications/walkability-and-pedestrian-facilities-asian-cities-state-and-issues. [Accessed: Sep. 13, 2023].
[13] M. A. Alfonzo, "To walk or not to walk? The hierarchy of walking needs," Environ. Behav., vol. 37, no. 6, pp. 808–836, Nov. 2005. DOI: 10.1177/0013916504274016.
[14] A. Forsyth and M. Southworth, "Cities afoot—Pedestrians, walkability and urban design," J. Urban Des., vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 1–3, Feb. 2008. DOI: 10.1080/13574800701816896.
[15] R. Imrie, "Universalism, universal design and equitable access to the built environment," Disabil. Rehabil., vol. 34, no. 10, pp. 873–882, May 2012. DOI: 10.3109/09638288.2011.624250.
[16] K. L. Cain et al., "Development and reliability of a streetscape observation instrument for international use: MAPS-global," Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act., vol. 15, no. 1, p. 19, Feb. 2018. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-018-0650-z.
[17] A. C. Lusk, P. G. Furth, P. Morency, L. F. Miranda-Moreno, W. C. Willett and J. T. Dennerlein, "Risk of injury for bicycling on cycle tracks versus in the street," Injury Prev., vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 131–135, Apr. 2011. DOI: 10.1136/ip.2010.028696.
[18] R. J. Schneider, R. M. Ryznar and A. J. Khattak, "An accident waiting to happen: A spatial approach to proactive pedestrian planning," Accid. Anal. Prev., vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 193–211, Mar. 2004. DOI: 10.1016/S0001-4575(02)00149-5.
[19] S. Foster, et al., "Safe RESIDential Environments? A longitudinal analysis of the influence of crime-related safety on walking," Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act., vol. 13, no. 1, p. 22, Feb. 2016. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-016-0343-4.
[20] T. Yamane, Statistics: An Introductory Analysis, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Harper and Row, 1973.
[21] W. E. Marshall and N. W. Garrick, "Street network types and road safety: A study of 24 California cities," Urban Des. Int., vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 133–147, Sep. 2010. DOI: 10.1057/udi.2009.31
[22] B. E. Saelens, J. F. Sallis and L. D. Frank, "Environmental correlates of walking and cycling: Findings from the transportation, urban design, and planning literatures," Ann. Behav. Med., vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 80–91, 2003. DOI: 10.1207/S15324796ABM2502_03.
[23] E. Talen and J. Koschinsky, "The walkable neighborhood: A literature review," Int. J. Sustain. Land Use Urban Plann., vol. 1, no. 1, Mar. 2013. DOI: 10.24102/ijslup.v1i1.211.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Engineering and Industrial Technology, Kalasin University
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
ลิขสิทธิ์ของวารสาร
เนื้อหาและข้อมูลในบทความที่ลงตีพิมพ์ในวารสารศูนย์ดัชนีการอ้างอิงวารสารไทย ถือเป็นข้อคิดเห็นและความรับผิดชอบของผู้เขียนบทความโดยตรงซึ่งกองบรรณาธิการวารสาร ไม่จำเป็นต้องเห็นด้วย หรือร่วมรับผิดชอบใด ๆ
บทความ ข้อมูล เนื้อหา รูปภาพ ฯลฯ ที่ได้รับการตีพิมพ์ในวารสารศูนย์ดัชนีการอ้างอิงวารสารไทย ถือเป็นลิขสิทธิ์ของวารสารศูนย์ดัชนีการอ้างอิงวารสารไทย หากบุคคลหรือหน่วยงานใดต้องการนำทั้งหมดหรือส่วนหนึ่งส่วนใดไปเผยแพร่ต่อหรือเพื่อกระทำการใด จะต้องได้รับอนุญาตเป็นลายลักอักษรจากวารสารศูนย์ดัชนีการอ้างอิงวารสารไทยก่อนเท่านั้น
