CONNECTIVITY AND WALKABILITY

Connectivity And Walkability

Connectivity Connectivity refers to the directness of links and the density of connections in path or road network. A well-connected road or path network has many short links, numerous intersections, and minimal dead-ends (cul-de-sacs).

High Connectivity

Low Connectivity

Connectivity And Walkability

As connectivity increases, travel distances decrease and route options increase, allowing more direct travel between destinations, creating a more Accessible and Resilient system

Disconnected street pattern

Connected street pattern

Connectivity And Walkability

Do shorter greater street connectivity provide any benefits for communities ? Regardless of their size, three major benefits from better connectivity are shorter trips; a wider variety of travel choices; and more cost-effective public services and infrastructure.

Connectivity And Walkability

Do shorter greater street connectivity provide any benefits for communities ? More direct connections shortens travel time, which effectively brings people closer to their destinations. Community residents can get to schools, shopping centres, and other spots not because these places were too far away, but because they were too far out of the way.

Connectivity And Walkability

firefighters, police, and ambulance services can save precious minutes reaching the scene of an emergency, and can serve a broader area without driving up their operating costs. Similarly, greater connectivity can reduce costs of providing other services, such as waste collection, by decreasing travel time and mileage Another benefit: by creating more ways for people to get from point A to point B, communities can diversify the flow of traffic and, in many cases, also enable travel choices other than driving. This improves overall mobility and helps reduce congestion on overworked arterials.

Connectivity And Walkability

The key is to create strategically located links that benefit broad cross-sections of the community. Good connectivity does not necessarily mean eliminating every last cul- de-sac.
The real purpose of connectivity is to provide a variety of routes for daily travel, such as to schools, grocery stores, and after school activities.

Connected street networks provide a framework for cohesive communities that can provide public services in a highly efficient way and can adapt to change without losing their core identity.

The number of ways to get to each intersection from 1st and A.

Connectivity And Walkability

Connectivity And Walkability

Connectivity And Walkability

A walkable neighbourhood isnt walkable unless it has a well-connected thoroughfare network. A well-connected network, composed of direct, convenient routes, is one of the key ingredients of walkability. Well-connected neighbourhoods have a host of advantages for residents and for the greater community. street connectivity is associated with more walking, less driving, greater safety, less crime, better physical fitness, and fewer per capita emissions.

Connectivity And Walkability

Connectivity And Walkability Connectivity on the neighbourhood scale is about connectivity within neighbourhoods. Its about the routes and connections from building to building, from lot to lot, and from block to block. There are a variety of metrics that can characterize connectivity, such as density of intersections, block size, number of 3and 4-way intersections and cul-de-sacs, and route directness.

Connectivity And Walkability

Connectivity And Walkability

Walkability is a complex phenomenon involving such elements as sidewalks, appealing streetscapes, and doors facing the street. But from the perspective of someone trying to decide on a dwelling, the most basic measure of walkability is, What can I walk to from here?
availability of public transit, safety, and connectivity, all of which are quite important to what I consider a walkable environment; an environment that supports pedestrian travel in an area.

Connectivity And Walkability

Walkable

What is the definition of walkable?

Destinations close by If people are going to walk, there have to be places to walk to. Walkable neighbourhoods have a variety of destinations within walking distance. Destinations might include commercial establishments or civic establishments, civic spaces or transit stops. Walkers dont like to take long detours, so routes from place to place are relatively close to a straight line. That means small blocks and few or no dead ends. There are also plenty of alternate routes between any two places, which both reduce traffic bottlenecks and provide the variety that encourages walking.

Direct and convenient routes

Connectivity And Walkability

Walkable Comfortable and interesting pedestrian ways Pedestrian safety is greatest when vehicle speeds are low. On-street parking, trees, and other design elements are a buffer between pedestrians and traffic. Sidewalks are sized appropriately for the number of walkers. Buildings meet the street in such a way to make the outdoor rooms that are the mark of the best urban places. Building facades are human scale, with frequent doorways and windows, and attractive details and ornament. These design elements also allow workers and residents to keep an eye on the street and respond to criminal activity; in addition, popular walking areas tend to be more safe than deserted areas.

Connectivity And Walkability

How It Is Implemented

Connectivity can be increased during roadway and pathway planning, when subdivisions are designed, by adopting s treet connectivity standards or goals, by requiring alleyways and mid-block pedestrian shortcuts, by constructing new roads and paths connecting destinations, by using shorter streets and smaller blocks, and by applying Traffic Calming rather than closing off streets to control excessive vehicle traffic.
New Urbanism development practices emphasize a high degree of street connectivity.

Connectivity And Walkability

How It Is Implemented

Typical street connectivity standards or goals include the features listed below.
Encourage average intersection spacing for local street to be 300-400 feet. Limits maximum intersection spacing for local streets to about 600 feet.

Limits maximum intersection spacing for arterial streets to about 1,000 feet.
Limits maximum spacing between pedestrian/bicycle connections to about 350 feet (that is, it creates mid-block paths and pedestrian shortcuts).

Connectivity And Walkability

How It Is Implemented Typical street connectivity standards or goals (cont.) Reduces street pavement widths to 24-36 feet. Limits maximum block size to 5-12 acres.

Limits or discourages cul-de-sacs (for example, to 20% of streets).

Limits the maximum length of cul-de-sacs to 200 or 400 feet.

Limits or discourages gated communities and other restricted access roads.

Requires multiple access connections between a development and arterial streets.

Connectivity And Walkability

How It Is Implemented Typical street connectivity standards or goals (cont.) Requires a minimum connectivity index, or rewards developments that have a high connectivity index with various incentives. Specifically favors pedestrian and cycling connections, and sometime connections for transit and emergency vehicles, where through traffic is closed to general automobile traffic. Creates a planning process to connect street stubs, that is, streets that are initially cul-de-sacs but can be connected when adjacent parcels are developed in the future

Connectivity And Walkability

Travel Impacts

Increased street connectivity can reduce vehicle travel by reducing travel distances between destinations and by supporting alternative modes. Increased Connectivity tends to Improve Walking and Cycling conditions, particularly where paths provide shortcuts, so walking and cycling are relatively faster than driving. This also supports transit use.
Alba and Beimborn (2005) finds that improved local street connectivity can reduce traffic volumes, and therefore traffic congestion, on major arterials.

Connectivity And Walkability

Benefits and Costs

Improved Connectivity tends to increase transportation system Resilience by increasing route options, reducing problems when a particular link is closed. It improves emergency response by allowing emergency vehicles more direct access, and reduces the risk that an area will become inaccessible if a particular part of the roadway is blocked by a traffic accident or fallen tree.
A more connected street system allows a fire station to serve about three times as much area as in an area with unconnected streets, increases the efficiency and safety of services such as garbage collection and street sweeping, and tends to reduce water quality problems that result from stagnant water in dead-end pipes at the end of cul-de-sacs (Handy, Paterson and Butler, 2004,
p. 37 and p. 56).

Connectivity And Walkability

Benefits and Costs Increased road and path connectivity reduces per capita vehicle travel and improves overall accessibility, particularly for nondrivers - therefore help reduce traffic congestion, accidents and pollution emissions, and improve mobility for non-drivers. Increased Connectivity may require lower traffic speeds, since there are shorter links and more intersections.

Residential properties tend to have lower values on connected streets than on cul-de-sacs.

Connectivity And Walkability

Best Practices Handy, Paterson and Butler (2004) provide recommendations for improving roadway and pathway connectivity. Minimize dead-end streets, and where they exist limit their length to about 200 feet. Where dead-end streets exist, try to create paths that provide shortcuts for walking and cycling. A modified-grid street network with a high degree of connectivity should generally be used in urban areas.

As much as possible, new developments and urban redevelopments should have a high degree of roadway and pathway connectivity.

Connectivity And Walkability

Best Practices Handy, Paterson and Butler (2004) provide recommendations for improving roadway and pathway connectivity. Use short street and small blocks as much as possible. An ideal for urban development is a 300 to 500 foot grid for pedestrians and bicycles networks and a 500 to 1,000 foot grid for motor vehicle streets. Planners should watch for opportunities to increase connectivity, particularly for non-motorized paths. Traffic Calming should generally be used instead of street closures to control excessive vehicle traffic on urban streets. We actually started to use congestion as a means to slow and regulate traffic, rather than trying to build roads in order to arrive at zero congestion (an impossibility)

If you live in a suburb like this one in Las Vegas, it might be hard to walk to the grocery sto