Graphic Approach to Indicators of Urban Quality of Life and sustainability

Abstract

The characteristics of the built urban environment influence the behaviour and well-being of the users. In the Mediterranean cities, with mild climate, the environmental conditions are favourable to the well-being of the pedestrian. However, they are not always homogeneous in all the streets of the same district. There are perceptible differences that cause that pedestrians take some routes, in their daily journeys that are not always the shortest ones or the most efficient. Urban analysis tools that provide reliable and measurable data of these characteristics have become a useful resource for the scientific community in this area and for forums where decision-making is focused on urban policy on a small or large scale. In this work, one of these tools, the Transit Orientated Development Standard (TOD Standard), a scoring instrument defined by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), has been taken as a basis for evaluating a total of 12 urban areas of the Cities of Rome and Barcelona. The work shows that the graphical representation of some values on a map provides very important complementary information that does not appear in the simple numerical quantification. The geographically located data representation adds contextual information to the numerical values. Conveniently adjusted in their values and scale, it allows evaluating the quality of the urban space on a small scale. When applying the criteria established for urban typologies typical of sprawl cities to cities with a compact morphology, an adjustment to that reality is required. They also suggest qualities that are not seen in the tables of values. It is revealed that map representation is the best way to understand what can make some streets busier than other streets. This work demonstrates that placing the TOD scoring data on the map completes the information and allows interpreting qualities of urban life that are essential for promoting mobility on foot. Taking into account qualitative data, in addition to quantitative data, can be decisive to ensure the success of urban projects that aim to promote pedestrian paths as a priority mobility system.