Identifying and Measuring Urban Design Qualities Related to Walkability Final Report prepared for the Active Living Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation July 2005 Measuring Urban Design Qualities Related to Walkability Final Report prepared for the Active Living Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Reid Ewing and Otto Clemente National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education University of Maryland Susan Handy Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California, Davis Ross C. Brownson Prevention Research Center Saint Louis University School of Public Health Emily Winston Institute of Transportation Studies University of California, Davis June 2005 ii Table of Contents 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................................................................................................1 Work Plan ....................................................................................................................................................................................................2 2. Recruit Expert Panel.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Panel Selection.............................................................................................................................................................................................3 Panel Members.............................................................................................................................................................................................3 3. Identify Key Urban Design Qualities.................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Initial Screening of Qualities...........................................................................................................................................................................4 Selected Qualities .........................................................................................................................................................................................6 Challenge ....................................................................................................................................................................................................7 4. Acquire Videotaping Equipment ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7 5. Develop Filming Protocol................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 6. Create a Library of Video Clips and Select a Sample .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Fractional Factorial Design .............................................................................................................................................................................8 7. Administer Visual Assessment Survey to Expert Panel .................................................................................................................................... 11 Survey Protocol ..........................................................................................................................................................................................11 8. Establish Criteria for Selecting Urban Design Qualities to Operationalize........................................................................................................ 13 9. Analyze Relationships from the Visual Assessment Surveys ........................................................................................................................... 13 Correlates of Overall Walkability ...................................................................................................................................................................13 Inter-rater Reliability of Scene Ratings ..........................................................................................................................................................14 10. Analyze Content of Sampled Scenes .............................................................................................................................................................. 15 Inter-rater Reliability of Content Analysis.......................................................................................................................................................15 11. Relate Urban Design Ratings to Measurable Physical Features...................................................................................................................... 20 Cross-Classified Random Effects Models.........................................................................................................................................................20 Results of Statistical Analysis .......................................................................................................................................................................22 Discussion .................................................................................................................................................................................................22 12. Select Which Qualities to Define Operationally.............................................................................................................................................. 28 13. Develop a Draft Instrument for Measuring Urban Design Qualities ............................................................................................................... 29 14. Test and Refine the Draft Instrument............................................................................................................................................................ 30 15. Train Lay Observers in the Classroom ........................................................................................................................................................... 33 16. Field Test the Survey Instrument with Lay Observers .................................................................................................................................. 34 17. Finalize the Instrument ................................................................................................................................................................................ 36 Appendix 1: Biosketches of Expert Panel Members ............................................................................................................................................. 33 Appendix 2: Qualitative Definitions of Urban Design Qualities ............................................................................................................................ 40 Imageability...............................................................................................................................................................................................40 Legibility....................................................................................................................................................................................................40 Enclosure...................................................................................................................................................................................................42 Human Scale..............................................................................................................................................................................................43 Transparency .............................................................................................................................................................................................44 Linkage .....................................................................................................................................................................................................44 Complexity ................................................................................................................................................................................................45 Coherence .................................................................................................................................................................................................47 Appendix 3: Operational Definitions of Physical Features ................................................................................................................................... 49 Appendix 4: Relationships Between Urban Design Qualities and Physical Features ........................................................................................... 68 Appendix 5: References......................................................................................................................................................................................