Pedestrians Mobility on Public Sidewalks Evaluated by the IAAPE Method

This research aims to evaluate walkability as a strategy of urban mobility in relation to physical characteristics of accessibility and attractiveness from public sidewalks characteristics in the city of Passo Fundo/RS-Brazil using the IAAPE (indicators of attraction and pedestrian accessibility) method. The concept of walkability corresponds to the simple act of walking in a pleasant way along the footpaths. Therefore, the IAAPE method was used, which considers aspects of connectivity, comfort, conviviality, coexistence, convenience, clarity and commitment in relation to the space evaluated. In this study, 40 adults, elderly, pregnant and wheelchair subjects were interviewed for evaluating the importance criteria on public sidewalks for a given type of user. In general, reduced sidewalk dimensions and obstacle presence are the main displacement hurdles in most of the cases analyzed. Thus, improvements are needed to avoid stress situations that arise from daily routine, to encourage physical activities, accessibility, and the emergence of meeting and leisure points.