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A test walk on pedestrian comfort: Observations from Atatürk Boulevard

Halah ALJAHANI,N. Oya MEMLÜK ÇOBANOĞLU

  • Halah ALJAHANI: Gazi Üniversitesi
  • N. Oya MEMLÜK ÇOBANOĞLU: Gazi Üniversitesi Mimarlık Fakültesi
  •  Year : 2025
  •  Vol : 2
  •  Issue : 1
  •  Page : 1-12
Since the 21st century, the negative effects of the climate crisis, accelerated by automobile-dependent mobility, on urban quality of life increased and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on urban mobility have brought walking to the forefront. Along with these, the concepts of ‘walkability’ and ‘pedestrian-friendly design’ have gained attention both in literature and in practice. Walking is affected by external factors such as social and built environment as well as cultural and individual preferences and characteristics. Walkability is a rather complex phenomenon that needs to be addressed at various scales from the city to the street with different components at each scale. Research on environmental factors influencing walkability reveals that convenience, accessibility, safety, comfort, and attractiveness are commonly identified. Pedestrian comfort is one of the basic requirements among these. In this research, based on the literature, the environmental factors affecting pedestrian comfort are determined as shaded areas, seating areas, physical barriers, and pedestrian connections. Pedestrian comfort was evaluated based on these factors through a test walk on Atatürk Boulevard, one of the main axes of Ankara. Systematic on-site observation was conducted by observer notes, journey mapping, and visual recording tools simultaneously for data collection. The Kızılay-Kuğulu Park section of boulevard was examined within the scope of the research and increasing physical obstacles and lack of seating areas towards Kuğulu Park were determined as the main factors limiting comfort. The research revealed that the automobile-oriented transformation of the boulevard created difficulties in terms of pedestrian comfort and walkability. The research aims to contribute to suggestions for increasing pedestrian comfort on the boulevard and to the discussions on walkability. Besides, interventions to increase the walkability should not only consider the physical infrastructure, but also the land use and transportation patterns, as well as social and cultural factors.
Cite this Article As : Aljahani, H., & Memlük Çobanoğlu, N.O. (2025). Yaya konforu üzerine bir test yürüyüşü: Atatürk bulvarı'ndan gözlemler. Thinking of Urban Decoding Journal (TUDEJ), 2(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.69992/0.2025.8

Conflict of interest : The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

This article is published under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
Thinking Of Urban Decoding Journal
2025, Vol2, Issue1
E-ISSN: 3108-4885
Received : , Accepted : , Published Online :

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