[The Conversation]

What Makes A Great Footpath? The Answer Is Key To Our Happiness And Wellbeing As We Age​

As people age, they often become less confident about walking. Fear of fallingcan limit the activity of older people, leading them to become isolated.

So what, exactly, makes for a great footpath to walk on?

My colleagues and I explored this question in a recent paper. We used an evidence-based tool to measure the walkability of urban roads – assessing not just the footpath itself, but the features around it.

The results can help urban designers make our cities more walkable, especially for older people.

As people age, they often become less confident about walking. Shutterstock​

What makes a footpath ‘walkable’?​

Only about 42% of people in Sydney and Melbourne live in neighbourhoods with above-average walkability. This compares poorly with people in Lisbon (99.2%), São Paulo (97%) and Hong Kong (96%).

Generally, features that determine whether a footpath is walkable fall into one of two categories.

Neighbourhood-level features refer to a neighbourhood’s general environment, such as:

• how well connected streets are to each other. Do they offer a variety of available routes for daily trips?
• how densely dwellings are built and how amenities are distributed. Are there parks, train stations, cafes or shops within walking distance?

Footpath-level features refer to the safety, comfort and attractiveness of a footpath, such as:

• obstacles such as tree roots and short poles
• the width of the path
• convenience of crossing facilities
• green belts (such as grass and shrubs) and fences that separate pedestrians from traffic lanes
• areas of shade
• street furniture
• bicycles travelling along the path
• vehicles parked on the path
• noise from cars and other sources
• diversity of streetscapes such as building facades, trees and grasslands.

Footpath-level features include obstacles such as tree roots. Shutterstock​

Previous studies on walkability have mixed these two levels of features. But our research separated them, to help urban designers identify which features are most important and which should be improved.

We focused on neighbourhood walkability for senior citizens. By 2050, one in six people in the world will be aged over age 65 – almost double the number in 2015. Australian census data paints a similar picture.

Research shows older adults who perceive their neighbourhood as walkable are happier and more satisfied with life, and less lonely.

Walkable cities help senior citizens – especially those with physical restrictions– be more physically active, and promotes stronger and more regular social connections.

So it’s particularly important to identify how to make our streets more appealing for this age group.

What we found​

Our research focused on the city of Shenzhen in China. Over the past 40 years, Shenzhen has grown into a megacity, and urban planners have historically prioritised the needs of motorised traffic over pedestrians and cyclists.

Among the methods involved in our study, we asked 256 senior citizens to rate footpath features to help us understand how much each one affects their walking.

Respondents told us bikes on footpaths and vehicles parked on footpaths were the biggest factors in reducing walkability. They reported that cars parked on footpaths made the space too crowded and increased the risk of being injured by bikes travelling on the footpath.

Convenient crossing facilities were rated as the second most important feature of footpath walkability. This includes formal crossings – such as zebra crossings and underpasses – as well as informal crossings such as quiet streets.

A street scene in Shenzen showing vehicles parked on footpaths and pedestrians using informal crosswalks. Author​

We employed two auditors to quantify how well each feature appears in 11 sample footpaths. The results showed that the way researchers quantify the quality of a footpath can differ to the views of senior citizens.

For example, we measured the quality of a green belt based on the ratio of the length of the belt to the length of the footpath. But for the pedestrians we spoke to, no matter how wide a green belt is, it’s effective as long as it separates them from traffic lanes.

We need walkable neighbourhoods, too​

Our research shows what makes a good footpath, but neighbourhood walkability is also important. If people don’t have destinations to walk to, or streets are not well connected, then they will be deterred from walking even if the footpath is good quality.

And we must remember, people experience footpaths differently. An able younger adult may consider a footpath walkable when a senior citizen or a younger child struggles to navigate it.

Every citizen has an equal right to use and enjoy public space – and footpath design should reflect this.


This article was first published on The Conversation, and was written by Fatemeh Aminpour, Associate Lecturer, School of Built Environment, UNSW Sydney

 

[Jenniw]

I rang and emailed a council about a change they made to a footpath that made it extremely difficult for people with any kind of mobility aid to use. Where the access from the road was made, headed straight into a concrete barrier on the edge of the footpath. They would not listen at all. The answer I received was that it had to be where it was due to regulations.
Jenni

 

[Tripper]

We walk every day. Trip hazards are every where. Believe me it's easy to fall....not so easy to recover. Six months on from a serious fall and I believe my knees will never fully recover.
The council where I am ask that any hazards are reported. They are acted upon quite quickly. Where it is footpaths there is a maintenance and repair program with hazards being painted bright yellow. Temporary barriers are also put in place in busy places.
I just wish that in the design and building process design for disabled access is adopted as best practice....it's good for everyone.

 

[Ricci]

Even in my retirement village I ride my mobility scooter on the road rather than the paths as they are quite uneven and can be difficult to navigate. On the oldest streets the concrete slabs all seem to be slightly out of true with each other.

 

[riskydave]

What Makes A Great Footpath? The Answer Is Key To Our Happiness And Wellbeing As We Age​

As people age, they often become less confident about walking. Fear of fallingcan limit the activity of older people, leading them to become isolated.

So what, exactly, makes for a great footpath to walk on?

My colleagues and I explored this question in a recent paper. We used an evidence-based tool to measure the walkability of urban roads – assessing not just the footpath itself, but the features around it.

The results can help urban designers make our cities more walkable, especially for older people.

View attachment 7744
As people age, they often become less confident about walking. Shutterstock​

What makes a footpath ‘walkable’?​

Only about 42% of people in Sydney and Melbourne live in neighbourhoods with above-average walkability. This compares poorly with people in Lisbon (99.2%), São Paulo (97%) and Hong Kong (96%).

Generally, features that determine whether a footpath is walkable fall into one of two categories.

Neighbourhood-level features refer to a neighbourhood’s general environment, such as:

• how well connected streets are to each other. Do they offer a variety of available routes for daily trips?
• how densely dwellings are built and how amenities are distributed. Are there parks, train stations, cafes or shops within walking distance?

Footpath-level features refer to the safety, comfort and attractiveness of a footpath, such as:

• obstacles such as tree roots and short poles
• the width of the path
• convenience of crossing facilities
• green belts (such as grass and shrubs) and fences that separate pedestrians from traffic lanes
• areas of shade
• street furniture
• bicycles travelling along the path
• vehicles parked on the path
• noise from cars and other sources
• diversity of streetscapes such as building facades, trees and grasslands.

View attachment 7745
Footpath-level features include obstacles such as tree roots. Shutterstock​

Previous studies on walkability have mixed these two levels of features. But our research separated them, to help urban designers identify which features are most important and which should be improved.

We focused on neighbourhood walkability for senior citizens. By 2050, one in six people in the world will be aged over age 65 – almost double the number in 2015. Australian census data paints a similar picture.

Research shows older adults who perceive their neighbourhood as walkable are happier and more satisfied with life, and less lonely.

Walkable cities help senior citizens – especially those with physical restrictions– be more physically active, and promotes stronger and more regular social connections.

So it’s particularly important to identify how to make our streets more appealing for this age group.

What we found​

Our research focused on the city of Shenzhen in China. Over the past 40 years, Shenzhen has grown into a megacity, and urban planners have historically prioritised the needs of motorised traffic over pedestrians and cyclists.

Among the methods involved in our study, we asked 256 senior citizens to rate footpath features to help us understand how much each one affects their walking.

Respondents told us bikes on footpaths and vehicles parked on footpaths were the biggest factors in reducing walkability. They reported that cars parked on footpaths made the space too crowded and increased the risk of being injured by bikes travelling on the footpath.

Convenient crossing facilities were rated as the second most important feature of footpath walkability. This includes formal crossings – such as zebra crossings and underpasses – as well as informal crossings such as quiet streets.

View attachment 7746
A street scene in Shenzen showing vehicles parked on footpaths and pedestrians using informal crosswalks. Author​

We employed two auditors to quantify how well each feature appears in 11 sample footpaths. The results showed that the way researchers quantify the quality of a footpath can differ to the views of senior citizens.

For example, we measured the quality of a green belt based on the ratio of the length of the belt to the length of the footpath. But for the pedestrians we spoke to, no matter how wide a green belt is, it’s effective as long as it separates them from traffic lanes.

We need walkable neighbourhoods, too​

Our research shows what makes a good footpath, but neighbourhood walkability is also important. If people don’t have destinations to walk to, or streets are not well connected, then they will be deterred from walking even if the footpath is good quality.

And we must remember, people experience footpaths differently. An able younger adult may consider a footpath walkable when a senior citizen or a younger child struggles to navigate it.

Every citizen has an equal right to use and enjoy public space – and footpath design should reflect this.


This article was first published on The Conversation, and was written by Fatemeh Aminpour, Associate Lecturer, School of Built Environment, UNSW Sydney

That would cost money and I am sorry but some latte drinking goose in an office has no idea.

 

[Capi22222]

I ride my mobility scooter on the footpaths here in a Western Australia suburb and the footpaths are all sloped and have deeper sloping water runoffs abou every meter making it hard navigating the footpaths even when walking let alone in a mobility scooter. Great for rain runoff but no for pedestrians

 

[riskydave]

I ride my mobility scooter on the footpaths here in a Western Australia suburb and the footpaths are all sloped and have deeper sloping water runoffs abou every meter making it hard navigating the footpaths even when walking let alone in a mobility scooter. Great for rain runoff but no for pedestrians

As I say, Latte drinking office workers or council workers have no idea......

 

[Mr Chips]

Well, what do I say? I live in a pretty, leafy suburb of Wollongong called Mount Saint Thomas. The Council has completely dealt with the footpath issue without too much trouble at all - there isn't any! I hasten to note that it is mainly only my street which is about a km long. To make sure there is a nice flat surface for us to walk on they have provided markings for Cycle lanes on both sides, as I cannot ride a bicycle at the moment due to some severe fractures of my left leg after slipping on the slippery surface of a driveway on the street, I use the Cycle lane for my daily walk. I navigate the cyclists, especially when walking my dog by either moving onto the lovely lawns that are nice and wide (big enough for a great footpath) or walking on the road facing any oncoming traffic to ensure the safety of the rather delicate cyclists who cannot be seen to travel outside the marked lines. The road (and cyclist area) are in good condition and easy to walk on but the grass verges are sloped and slippery when wet but look good. WTF? Studyimg walkability? What good will that do for us in Mount Saint Thomas or any other area outside of Sydney or Melbourne or some unheard-of metropolis in China? I ask you?

 

[KiwiTrish]

What Makes A Great Footpath? The Answer Is Key To Our Happiness And Wellbeing As We Age​

As people age, they often become less confident about walking. Fear of fallingcan limit the activity of older people, leading them to become isolated.

So what, exactly, makes for a great footpath to walk on?

My colleagues and I explored this question in a recent paper. We used an evidence-based tool to measure the walkability of urban roads – assessing not just the footpath itself, but the features around it.

The results can help urban designers make our cities more walkable, especially for older people.

View attachment 7744
As people age, they often become less confident about walking. Shutterstock​

What makes a footpath ‘walkable’?​

Only about 42% of people in Sydney and Melbourne live in neighbourhoods with above-average walkability. This compares poorly with people in Lisbon (99.2%), São Paulo (97%) and Hong Kong (96%).

Generally, features that determine whether a footpath is walkable fall into one of two categories.

Neighbourhood-level features refer to a neighbourhood’s general environment, such as:

• how well connected streets are to each other. Do they offer a variety of available routes for daily trips?
• how densely dwellings are built and how amenities are distributed. Are there parks, train stations, cafes or shops within walking distance?

Footpath-level features refer to the safety, comfort and attractiveness of a footpath, such as:

• obstacles such as tree roots and short poles
• the width of the path
• convenience of crossing facilities
• green belts (such as grass and shrubs) and fences that separate pedestrians from traffic lanes
• areas of shade
• street furniture
• bicycles travelling along the path
• vehicles parked on the path
• noise from cars and other sources
• diversity of streetscapes such as building facades, trees and grasslands.

View attachment 7745
Footpath-level features include obstacles such as tree roots. Shutterstock​

Previous studies on walkability have mixed these two levels of features. But our research separated them, to help urban designers identify which features are most important and which should be improved.

We focused on neighbourhood walkability for senior citizens. By 2050, one in six people in the world will be aged over age 65 – almost double the number in 2015. Australian census data paints a similar picture.

Research shows older adults who perceive their neighbourhood as walkable are happier and more satisfied with life, and less lonely.

Walkable cities help senior citizens – especially those with physical restrictions– be more physically active, and promotes stronger and more regular social connections.

So it’s particularly important to identify how to make our streets more appealing for this age group.

What we found​

Our research focused on the city of Shenzhen in China. Over the past 40 years, Shenzhen has grown into a megacity, and urban planners have historically prioritised the needs of motorised traffic over pedestrians and cyclists.

Among the methods involved in our study, we asked 256 senior citizens to rate footpath features to help us understand how much each one affects their walking.

Respondents told us bikes on footpaths and vehicles parked on footpaths were the biggest factors in reducing walkability. They reported that cars parked on footpaths made the space too crowded and increased the risk of being injured by bikes travelling on the footpath.

Convenient crossing facilities were rated as the second most important feature of footpath walkability. This includes formal crossings – such as zebra crossings and underpasses – as well as informal crossings such as quiet streets.

View attachment 7746
A street scene in Shenzen showing vehicles parked on footpaths and pedestrians using informal crosswalks. Author​

We employed two auditors to quantify how well each feature appears in 11 sample footpaths. The results showed that the way researchers quantify the quality of a footpath can differ to the views of senior citizens.

For example, we measured the quality of a green belt based on the ratio of the length of the belt to the length of the footpath. But for the pedestrians we spoke to, no matter how wide a green belt is, it’s effective as long as it separates them from traffic lanes.

We need walkable neighbourhoods, too​

Our research shows what makes a good footpath, but neighbourhood walkability is also important. If people don’t have destinations to walk to, or streets are not well connected, then they will be deterred from walking even if the footpath is good quality.

And we must remember, people experience footpaths differently. An able younger adult may consider a footpath walkable when a senior citizen or a younger child struggles to navigate it.

Every citizen has an equal right to use and enjoy public space – and footpath design should reflect this.


This article was first published on The Conversation, and was written by Fatemeh Aminpour, Associate Lecturer, School of Built Environment, UNSW Sydney

Be okay if you had footpaths but not in our area of port Macquarie even the new subdivisions don’t have any.

 

[Rosalie30]

In 1988 I was quite shocked to see no pavements, or even only one pavement in many streets in South Australia. Have gotten used to this over the past 35 years living in Oz, but still think it’s crazy.

 

[Lynjw]

What Makes A Great Footpath? The Answer Is Key To Our Happiness And Wellbeing As We Age​

As people age, they often become less confident about walking. Fear of fallingcan limit the activity of older people, leading them to become isolated.

So what, exactly, makes for a great footpath to walk on?

My colleagues and I explored this question in a recent paper. We used an evidence-based tool to measure the walkability of urban roads – assessing not just the footpath itself, but the features around it.

The results can help urban designers make our cities more walkable, especially for older people.

View attachment 7744
As people age, they often become less confident about walking. Shutterstock​

What makes a footpath ‘walkable’?​

Only about 42% of people in Sydney and Melbourne live in neighbourhoods with above-average walkability. This compares poorly with people in Lisbon (99.2%), São Paulo (97%) and Hong Kong (96%).

Generally, features that determine whether a footpath is walkable fall into one of two categories.

Neighbourhood-level features refer to a neighbourhood’s general environment, such as:

• how well connected streets are to each other. Do they offer a variety of available routes for daily trips?
• how densely dwellings are built and how amenities are distributed. Are there parks, train stations, cafes or shops within walking distance?

Footpath-level features refer to the safety, comfort and attractiveness of a footpath, such as:

• obstacles such as tree roots and short poles
• the width of the path
• convenience of crossing facilities
• green belts (such as grass and shrubs) and fences that separate pedestrians from traffic lanes
• areas of shade
• street furniture
• bicycles travelling along the path
• vehicles parked on the path
• noise from cars and other sources
• diversity of streetscapes such as building facades, trees and grasslands.

View attachment 7745
Footpath-level features include obstacles such as tree roots. Shutterstock​

Previous studies on walkability have mixed these two levels of features. But our research separated them, to help urban designers identify which features are most important and which should be improved.

We focused on neighbourhood walkability for senior citizens. By 2050, one in six people in the world will be aged over age 65 – almost double the number in 2015. Australian census data paints a similar picture.

Research shows older adults who perceive their neighbourhood as walkable are happier and more satisfied with life, and less lonely.

Walkable cities help senior citizens – especially those with physical restrictions– be more physically active, and promotes stronger and more regular social connections.

So it’s particularly important to identify how to make our streets more appealing for this age group.

What we found​

Our research focused on the city of Shenzhen in China. Over the past 40 years, Shenzhen has grown into a megacity, and urban planners have historically prioritised the needs of motorised traffic over pedestrians and cyclists.

Among the methods involved in our study, we asked 256 senior citizens to rate footpath features to help us understand how much each one affects their walking.

Respondents told us bikes on footpaths and vehicles parked on footpaths were the biggest factors in reducing walkability. They reported that cars parked on footpaths made the space too crowded and increased the risk of being injured by bikes travelling on the footpath.

Convenient crossing facilities were rated as the second most important feature of footpath walkability. This includes formal crossings – such as zebra crossings and underpasses – as well as informal crossings such as quiet streets.

View attachment 7746
A street scene in Shenzen showing vehicles parked on footpaths and pedestrians using informal crosswalks. Author​

We employed two auditors to quantify how well each feature appears in 11 sample footpaths. The results showed that the way researchers quantify the quality of a footpath can differ to the views of senior citizens.

For example, we measured the quality of a green belt based on the ratio of the length of the belt to the length of the footpath. But for the pedestrians we spoke to, no matter how wide a green belt is, it’s effective as long as it separates them from traffic lanes.

We need walkable neighbourhoods, too​

Our research shows what makes a good footpath, but neighbourhood walkability is also important. If people don’t have destinations to walk to, or streets are not well connected, then they will be deterred from walking even if the footpath is good quality.

And we must remember, people experience footpaths differently. An able younger adult may consider a footpath walkable when a senior citizen or a younger child struggles to navigate it.

Every citizen has an equal right to use and enjoy public space – and footpath design should reflect this.


This article was first published on The Conversation, and was written by Fatemeh Aminpour, Associate Lecturer, School of Built Environment, UNSW Sydney

Most in my area they are cracked or sloping or with humps from tree roots. Not user friendly. Could easily get an snkle injury or like me a bad back.