Towards the Definition of a Comprehensive Walkability Index for Historical Centres

Historical centres are crucial areas where urban and transport planners should aim at enhancing adequate walkability conditions. This should be considered a priority in order to allow all users, including the most vulnerable ones, to access the activities they wish to engage in.Based on this premises, the paper aims at defining a methodological approach to comprehensively assess the existing pedestrian network infrastructure within historical centres, considering safety, comfort and enjoyment factors of the walking experience.In-field inspections have been carried out for the main pedestrian paths and crossings within the historical centre of Parma and data have been georeferenced in a GIS database. The indicators considered in the walkability analysis are: side-walks width, change of levels, bottlenecks, coloured ground signs, protection level, presence of seats, maintenance level and presence of tactile flooring. A comprehensive walkability index has been developed to assess the quality of each pedestrian link and crossing. The results have been represented in GIS-based thematic maps, that can support local authorities in defining priorities of intervention.