Zook, J., et al.
APA
Zook, J. B., Lu, Y., Glanz, K., & Zimring, C. (2012). Design and pedestrianism in a smart growth development. Environment and Behavior, 44(2), 216-234.
Abstract
Research on urban walkability does not always make a clear distinction between design features supporting walkability and those leading to a sense of urban liveliness. Walkability, for this article’s purposes, entails the oppor- tunity for continuous movement across some distance and therefore engages both the local and global street networks. Urban liveliness, by contrast, may exist in isolated pockets that provide limited support for physical activity. This case study of a large, urban smart growth development in Atlanta, Georgia, provides an example of a new development with characteristics that suggest a high degree of walkability. However, observational data show pedestrians are clumped on relatively few street segments rather than distributed throughout the site, indicating it is unlikely that the site is hosting much walking between the development and its surrounds. This descriptive case study is intended to contribute to more explicit theory of how environmental design contributes to walking.
Main finding
Case study of a "smart growth" development shows that internal walkability is high, but external walkability is poor, pointing to the need for better design of connective routes to extend walkability outside a development.
Description of method used in the article
Verdict
Of practical use