Using ahp to develop sustainable walking environment: case in Hochiminh city, Vietnam

Abstract

Hochiminh City is developing a metro system, but the walking system around the stations has not been studied enough. Walking activity is still quite strange to most citizens due to the unfavorable walking environment despite its incredible benefits on people's health. In this study, we apply the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to sort those elements in priority order. The experts in urban planning were divided into three groups with different job characteristics to provide a complete and factual standpoint. ANOVA and T-Test tested the results and showed that most experts have a relatively unifying opinion in the groups. There is only one element that lacks consensus among the groups of experts. From this study, twenty physical elements were selected and divided into five groups before being reduced to twelve applicable criteria for the limited budget of a developing country. Based on that, we can understand more about the views of each group of experts. These elements will help create a comfortable, safe, and convenient walking environment that encourages people to walk more for better health and purer city air quality.