Walkability: a definition of quality from perception of users

A caminhabilidade: uma definição de qualidade a partir da percepção dos usuários

Resumo

This research considered walkability as an option or stage of urban displacement. The objective was to consider users’ perception of the quality of the environment for walking in urban roads, and the place chosen was the city of Canoinhas, in Santa Catarina. The method used was Quality Function Displacement (QFD), which used questionnaires applied to a sample of the population for analysis. At the end, five large groups of elements were identified that, according to the analysis, were considered more relevant for walking: 1) the existence of sidewalks; 2) the quality of the sidewalks; 3) the perception of security; 4) comfort and visual attractiveness and, 5) street quality. These groups were further divided into levels, generating 24 items that should be evaluated to improve the quality of walking.