Ingenieur Vo 93 2023 ingenieur vol93 2023 | Page 58

INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
Notice very few pedestrians crossing the main streets as most pedestrians prefer to use connecting pedestrian link bridges and walking spaces with the buildings
on other roads in the vicinity . Otherwise it would only be shifting traffic and environmental problems from one location to another without net gain to the community .
The fact that the metro infrastructure is integrated with massive property development adds scope for creative internal and external pedestrian-oriented urban design . Such metro development needs good pedestrian connectivity and basic metro infrastructure has been extended to include pedestrian movement infrastructure services , such as elevators , escalators , steps , and underground moving walkways linking underground commercial spaces , some of which are vertical extensions downwards of the malls and towers above .
In Singapore , apartment complexes have a denser and more connected pedestrian network that is strongly integrated into a larger network of urban streets , leading to higher pedestrian connectivity within a 500-metre radius in walking distance . Singapore sites adopt different designs , such as locating pedestrian accesses at varied locations at all apartment complexes through the open boundary on the ground floor of apartment buildings and clustering more apartment complexes on each block . These contribute insights into planning and designing walkable apartment complexes , which have immense value and are in high demand in most Asian cities .
In Wuhan , China , the urban transportation network systems are composed mostly of a vehicular network , a public transport network , cycling paths , and a pedestrian network . Among these transport networks , the urban pedestrian transportation system serves approximately 60 % of daily traveling activities for urban residents in China . A sports report published by Tencent in 2018 indicated that the number of walking steps has an annual increasing rate of 11 % among residents since 2016 in China . As an important part of walking activity , pedestrian network connectivity provides a referential basis for residential walking path planning and network construction .
For pedestrians , especially the vulnerable group ( e . g ., the older population and those with disability ), the pedestrian network and wider distribution of public transport encourage them to walk . A transit stop is equivalent to a pedestrian network node , a place where pedestrians can change direction ( i . e ., people can choose to reach other places from this stop ). In addition , most pedestrians choose the “ walk + public transport ” mode of travel for medium to long distance travel .
In Madrid , 80 % of passengers enter the metro network on foot . This mode of travel plays an important role in reducing urban traffic congestion , environment pollution and global warming problems .
With the optimisation of urban public transport system , pedestrians are more likely to choose “ walking + public transport ” travel mode , leading them to further destinations .
In the local scene , Kuala Lumpur has an up-to-date air-conditioned elevated pedestrian link way from KLCC , Jalan Ampang to Pavilion Mall in Jalan Bukit Bintang . However , it only covers a small section of the Central Business District , and we still see streams of pedestrians using external walkways and mingling with the traffic while crossing the streets . As tourism is gaining a more dominant share of the economy , targeting foreign tourists , it is time that city authorities implement pedestrianisation in a more concerted manner .
56 VOL 93 JANUARY-MARCH 2023