Measurement Instrument for Urban Design Quantities Related to Walkability

Author of Tool: 

Reid Ewing, Otto Clemente, Susan Handy, Emily Winston, Ross C. Brownson

Key references: 

Ewing, R., Handy, S., Brownson, R. C., Clemente, O., & Winston, E. (2006). Identifying and measuring urban design qualities related to walkability. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 3(July), 223-239.

Ewing, R., & Handy, S. (2009). Measuring the unmeasurable: Urban design qualities related to walkability. Journal of Urban Design, 14(1), 65-84.

Primary use / Purpose: 

The Measurement Instrument for Urban Design Quantities measures intangible qualities of the urban environment.

Background: 

An operational definitions and measurement protocols for six intangible qualities of the urban environment, specifically: imageability, visual enclosure, human scale, transparency, complexity, and tidiness; was developed in order to study relationships between the built environment and walking behaviour.

Psychometrics: 

Validity and reliability of the six intangible qualities has been assessed (Ewing, Handy, Brownson, Clemente, & Winston, 2006)⁠.

Keywords: 

• Anxiety
• Family
• Health

Files: 

measuring_urban_design_qualities_scoring_sheet.xlsobservational_validation_field_manual.pdf

Other Information: 

A field survey instrument and training manual is available to help researchers understand relationships between the built environment and walking behaviour.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 

https://dx.doi.org/10.13072/midss.126