Impacts of Pedestrian Traffic on Urban Form: A Case of Historic Core Area of Kathmandu

Abstract

Pedestrian movement is one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transportation. Pedestrian activity helps to preserve the environment by limiting the usage of automobiles that pollute the air and noise. From an economic standpoint, increased pedestrian traffic in the streets means more possibility for increased business. Pedestrian transportation also promotes engagement and communication, as well as social equality and fairness. As land use changes, so does the dispersion of pedestrians. Over the past century, pedestrian access has declined steadily in most cities. With some exceptions, such as underground metro systems, each advance in transportation technology—from the horse-drawn streetcar to electric streetcar, on grade and elevated railways, automobile and superhighway, airplane and airport—has degraded the pedestrian environment. High-speed traffic broke up the fine-grained pedestrian network and imposed barriers to free movement on foot (Southworth,2008). Cities in Kathmandu Valley were traditionally designed for walking and providing communal space for people to meet. Large numbers of people in Kathmandu Valley still walk for their daily mobility (MaYA,2013). The urban street and roads in Kathmandu Valley are not pedestrian-friendly in the absence of proper planning for pedestrians. Walking is the most pro-environment way of getting around, aside from biking. However, the increasing motor traffic in cities negatively affects the safety and environment of pedestrians. Pedestrians make up 15-20% of the deaths in road accidents in industrialized countries; this is 40-50% in developing countries. Other problems related to comfort and security also have to be considered to obtain a more pedestrian-friendly environment that promotes walking as a means of transport. Encouraging people to walk and use public transport can be a beneficial approach to tackle social and environmental issues associated with traffic and transportation. To motivate walking as a mode of choice of people, policymakers need to accord importance to pedestrians’ needs and expectations.