title: Developing a research and practice tool to measure walkability: a demonstration project.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Growing evidence shows that higher-density, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods encourage active transport, including transport-related walking. Despite widespread recognition of the benefits of creating more walkable neighbourhoods, there remains a gap between the rhetoric of the need for walkability and the creation of walkable neighbourhoods. Moreover, there is little objective data to benchmark the walkability of neighbourhoods within and between Australian cities in order to monitor planning and design intervention progress and to assess built environment and urban policy interventions required to achieve increased walkability. This paper describes a demonstration project that aimed to develop, trial and validate a 'Walkability Index Tool' that could be used by policy makers and practitioners to assess the walkability of local areas; or by researchers to access geospatial data assessing walkability. The overall aim of the project was to develop an automated geospatial tool capable of creating walkability indices for neighbourhoods at user-specified scales.
  
  
  METHODS
  The tool is based on open-source software architecture, within the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN) framework, and incorporates key sub-component spatial measures of walkability (street connectivity, density and land use mix).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using state-based data, we demonstrated it was possible to create an automated walkability index. However, due to the lack of availability of consistent of national data measuring land use mix, at this stage it has not been possible to create a national walkability measure. The next stage of the project is to increase useability of the tool within the AURIN portal and to explore options for alternative spatial data sources that will enable the development of a valid national walkability index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AURIN's open-source Walkability Index Tool is a first step in demonstrating the potential benefit of a tool that could measure walkability across Australia. It also demonstrates the value of making accurate spatial data available for research purposes. SO WHAT?: There remains a gap between urban policy and practice, in terms of creating walkable neighbourhoods. When fully implemented, AURIN's walkability tool could be used to benchmark Australian cities against which planning and urban design decisions could be assessed to monitor progress towards achieving policy goals. Making cleaned data readily available for research purposes through a common portal could also save time and financial resources.
authors.affiliation: McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Level 5, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Vic. 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Billie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giles-Corti
authors.affiliation: McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Level 5, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Vic. 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Gus
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Macaulay
authors.affiliation: NJM Spatial, 11 Leon Road, Dalkeith, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Middleton
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Built Environment and Health, School of Population Health, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boruff
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Built Environment and Health, School of Population Health, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bull
authors.affiliation: North West Region Victorian Department of Health, 145 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Vic. 3065, Australia.
authors.forename: Iain
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Butterworth
authors.affiliation: McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Level 5, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Vic. 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Badland
authors.affiliation: McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Level 5, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Vic. 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mavoa
authors.affiliation: McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Level 5, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Vic. 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Built Environment and Health, School of Population Health, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Christian
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D004779:Environment Design; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014505:Urban Population; D016138:Walking