The Influence of street’s elements on walkability: a case of Colombo 07

Abstract

The walking behaviour of pedestrians continuously depends on street design and its quality. In Asian countries, streets have evolved from traditional streets without interpreting the actual need and impact of street elements for walking behaviour. However, they act only as transportation links while limited to the name by itself. This research aimed to identify the street elements that influence walkability and to investigate the most influential factor for walkability in terms of “Link and Place” to promote walkability in the Sri Lankan context. This study was conducted using a mixed-method approach. The on-site observations were carried out through a photograph survey and rough sketches to observe the street elements. Later, findings were validated through the questionnaire survey regarding the seven principles of a walkable street. Then, data were analysed by using descriptive analysis and correlation analysis aided by SPSS software. The findings of the observation and questionnaire revealed that there are nine most common street elements of streets which influence walkability in the Sri Lankan context. Finally, the study agreed that both “Link and Place” functions are equally important for the walkability of pedestrians.