| Title |
An Evaluation of Pedestrian Environments based on the Criteria of Universal Design Theory - A case study of old town area in Seoul - |
| Authors |
Jeong, Sangyun ; Sohn, Dong-Wook |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK_PD.2019.35.1.117 |
| Keywords |
Universal design ; Pedestrian environment ; Spatial analysis ; Walkability ; Mobility rights |
| Abstract |
The purpose of this study is to examine urban built environments associated with the walking behavior in order to identify the problem of urban infrastructure from the perspective of Universal design theory. Using the walkability criteria developed based on the findings of previous studies on Universal design theory and walking environment, the urban built environments in old town area of Seoul were evaluated. The results of the evaluation indicated that the pedestrian infrastructure in the study area had several shortcomings to improve in order to provide walking-friendly environments. First, the pedestrian infrastructure for visually impaired people were severely limited. Second, walking traffics in large portion of the street networks were interrupted by a variety of obstacles such as parked cars, signboards, and illegal street shops. Third, there were certain areas where the quality of pavement was not properly managed. In summary, this study provides an empirical data to understand the current situation of pedestrian infrastructure in the urban areas. Improvement of pedestrian infrastructure is needed to address the issues related to the mobility of the disabled people. It is also recommended to construct the GIS data on walking environment in order to develop and mange a long-term public investment plan for walking-friendly urban environments. |