The Liveable City - How Effective Planning for Infrastructure and Personal Mobility Can Improve People’s Experiences of Urban Life

Abstract

Aim of this research was to better understand the impact of urban infrastructure design on people’s perceived environmental quality, perceived safety and the motivation for active mobility within the city. The requirements for walking and cycling infrastructure were first generated in face-to-face interviews (N = 82). Then, in a within-subject design, N = 74 participants rated six pairs of photos of urban spaces before (low infrastructure quality) and after an appropriate infrastructure redesign (high infrastructure quality). 85.1% of the participants were women. The sample had a mean age of M = 22.6 years (SD = 6.46 years, Min = 18 years, Max = 58 years). Results show that urban spaces with high-quality walking and cycling infrastructure were rated with a significantly higher perceived environmental quality (t(73) = 11.62, p < .001, d = 1.34), perceived safety (t(73) = 11.68, p < .001, d = 1.35) and motivation to walk and/or cycle (t(73) = 23.47, p < .001, d = 2.71). Although the study samples were not representative, the results suggest that human factors should be a fundamental part of transport and urban planning.

Keywords: quality of stay, perceived safety, motivation for active mobility

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1002372