Evaluating the Quality of Pedestrian Infrastructure and Services in Chinese Cities

Although a significant number of trips are made by foot in developing cities, pedestrian infrastructure, amenities, and services are often neglected in municipal planning and budgets. This paper presents the processes and results in the development of a Walkability Index, which would rank cities within a country and across the world based on the safety, security, and convenience of their pedestrian environments. The Index is a tool that could be easily and economically implemented throughout Chinese cities to raise awareness of walkability as a critical issue, and more importantly, provide cities with the data and information they need to develop informed investment plans and policy decisions. This paper provides a summary overview of how the Index is constructed and implemented.