Key Citations:
1. Ewing R, Cervero R. Travel and the built environment: a meta-analysis. Journal of the American Planning Association. 2010;76:3(2010):265-294.
2. Frank L., et al. Many pathways from land use to health: associations between neighborhood walkability and active transportation, body mass index, and air quality,” Journal of the American Planning Association. Winter 2006;72(1):75-87.
Pedestrian Connectivity
The Pedestrian Connectivity indicator is a measure of the density of street intersections, availability of sidewalks or paths, and how closely intersections are spaced. This is a proxy for how easily residents navigate the neighborhood using active transportation modes of travel (i.e., walking, biking or any method of travel that involves human energy). This indicator is the most commonly used measure of the quality of the pedestrian environment, as a large number of intersections per acre tends to correlate with a well-connected grid of streets and smaller block sizes. When looking at the built environment and travel behavior, pedestrian connectivity shows a strong link to the number of walk trips taken by residents and increased physical activity. Posted under the Transportation Services domain, the Pedestrian Connectivity indicator is also linked to the Neighborhood Characteristics, Economic Health, Housing, Health Systems and Public Safety, Educational Opportunities, and Employment Opportunities domains. TIGER data is used to calculate this indicator.