Fit for purpose: evaluating walkability

This paper describes the challenges associated with assessing the quality of pedestrian networks and facilities, in particular the diverse nature of pedestrians and their sensitivity to subjective influences. It describes the ways in which those challenges were addressed during development of the pedestrian environment review system (PERS) by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). The paper describes PERS and gives examples of its application and use to conduct pedestrian network quality analysis. The benefits and limitations of the approach and lessons learnt in applying pedestrian reviews are discussed in a number of contexts. The paper concludes that the diversity of pedestrian capabilities and purposes in the public realm requires that subjective factors be incorporated into a review system; this, however, poses substantial difficulties for an objective and replicable review system.