“Integrating Urban Analytics and Design to Achieve Walkable Cities”.

Abstract: Numerous cities seek to increase walkability as part of broader sustainability, public health, community building and economic development strategies. But the study of walkability remains largely a research endeavor, with insufficient connections to urban design practice. Applied modeling tools to predict pedestrian activity in planned developments remain lacking or difficult for design teams to use. This presentation discusses Urban Network Analysis tools, distributed by the Harvard GSD City Form Lab, specifically developed for urban designers and planners to predict pedestrian flows on spatial networks. The presentations discusses how the tools have been applied in both urban research and practice and explores the role of evidence-based design in contemporary urban planning and design practice more generally.