Walking in Everyday Life: The Built Environment and Pedestrian Insecurity
Résumé
Walking is the very essence of biped human beings, one of the first accomplishments we expect of our infants and the last thing we let go of as we age. This chapter briefly reviews the five dimensions characterizing walkability in the urban environment, based on recent works on the subject. It presents the different sources of pedestrian insecurity, in particular the risk pedestrians incur in relation to road traffic and its most well-known influencing factors. The chapter focuses on two interventions (Vision Zero and speed reduction) aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety. It discusses two avenues of research that require greater attention from the scientific community and the actors in the field: accurate measurements of pedestrian exposure and the evaluation of interventions. The chapter also highlights the main elements that need to be improved in our living environments, so that everyone can walk safely along the existing road network.